Trent Reinsmith
- What: Brooklyn Nets vs. Portland Trail Blazers
- Date: Thursday, November 17, 2022
- Location: Moda Center in Portland, OR
- Time: 10:00 p.m. ET
- How to Watch: Root Sports Plus, YES, NBA League Pass
The 2023 NBA season has reached Week 5 and in a somewhat surprising development, the Portland Trail Blazers, who missed the playoffs last season with a 27-55 record, are at the top of the Western Conference standings at 10-4. Meanwhile, the Brooklyn Nets, who were once again picked to have a good NBA season in 2023, are near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings with a 6-9 record.
Portland opened the 2023 NBA season with a four-game winning streak. The team has been up and down since then, but the Trail Blazers are 4-1 in their past five outings and coming off a 117-110 win over the San Antonio Spurs at home.
Brooklyn are still trying to find their footing. The Nets opened the 2023 season on a 1-5 run. They are 2-3 in their past five games and coming off a 153-121 loss to the Sacramento Kings.
Before we dive into the betting breakdown for tonight’s NBA matchup between the Brooklyn Nets and the Portland Trail Blazers, check out our guide to betting on the 2023 NBA Finals and our tips for betting on the NBA.
Brooklyn Nets vs. Portland Trail Blazers picks – November 17, 2022
| Teams |  |  |
| Brooklyn Nets | +110 | +105 |
| Portland Trail Blazers | -130 | -125 |
Brooklyn Nets breakdown
Despite having some of the biggest names in the NBA on the roster, the Brooklyn Nets are struggling. Yes, Kevin Durant is doing Kevin Durant things, but Ben Simmons is not playing well and Kyrie Irving is not playing at all.
Durant, who was reportedly looking to leave the Nets via a trade in the offseason, leads the team with 30.3 points per game. He is also tops on the roster with 5.3 assists per outing. With Irving serving a suspension, the next highest scorer on the team is Nic Claxton, who has 11.5 points per game. Claxton leads the team in rebounds (8.5) and blocks (1.9). Simmons, who the Nets picked up via a trade last year for James Harden, is playing 26.6 minutes per game and scoring 5.8 points per game, which is far below his worst season of 14.3 points per game with Philadelphia.
The Nets are in the bottom half of the league in road scoring with an average of 109.6 points per game while playing away from Barclays. Brooklyn gives up more points on the road than they score, allowing their opponents to put up an average of 110.5 points per game. The Nets are 3-5 on the road this season.
Portland Trail Blazers breakdown
One question hanging over the Trail Blazers is if they are playing over their heads. The team is 10-4, but in 10 of those 14 games, they have trailed by double-digits. The team has a 6-4 record in those outings, but falling behind by so many points is not a recipe for a good season. On the other hand, coming back to win most of those games will make the team confident that they can overcome many obstacles.
Three members of the Portland club have more than 20 points per game – Damian Lillard (27.9), Anfernee Simons (22.3) and Jerami Grant (21.3). Jusuf Nurkic leads the team in rebounds with 10.6. Lillard is tops on the Trail Blazers in assists with 6.6, while Josh Hart leads the club in steals (1.3). Grant has the most blocks for Portland with 0.8. Lillard, Simons, Grant and Hart are all playing more than 35 minutes per game.
Portland is in the middle of the NBA in home scoring at 115.7 points per game. The team allows their opponents to score 112 points in their building.
The Blazers are the fifth-worst first-half team in the NBA, but they are the second-best team in the second half.
Our pick
If the Brooklyn Nets had all their top players on the court and playing up to their potential, they would be one of the favorites to win the NBA title. That’s not the reality of the situation at this point in the 2023 NBA season. With that, the Portland Trail Blazers, who are playing an excellent brand of team basketball, are the best bet to win tonight’s matchup.
Pick: Portland Trail Blazers to beat the Brooklyn Nets
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