1st quarter report
Fortunes could turn for the Trail Blazers after losing three straight. They have a bit of a lead as they currently lead the Raptors 33-16.
If the Trail Blazers continue to play like this, they will reach their 18-45 record in no time. On the other hand, the Raptors will have to settle for a 23-41 record unless they turn things around.
Who’s playing
Toronto Raptors @ Portland Trail Blazers
Current records: Toronto 23-40, Portland 17-45
How to watch
- When: Saturday March 9, 2024 at 10 p.m. ET
- Or: Moda Center at Rose Quarter – Portland, Oregon
- TV: The sports network
- Follow: CBS Sports app
- Online broadcast: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket cost: $7.49
What there is to know
The Trail Blazers will be in front of their home fans on Saturday, but a review of the broadcast shows they might need that home-court advantage. After playing yesterday, they will return immediately and host the Toronto Raptors at 10 p.m. ET on March 9 at the Moda Center in the Rose Quarter. Both teams suffered a loss in their last match, so they will have a lot of motivation to win the “W”.
The Trail Blazers’ recent rough patch got a little tougher Friday after their third straight loss. The game between them and Houston wasn’t a total blowout, but with Portland losing 123-107 at home, it was close to turning into a bust. The loss hurt even more as the Trail Blazers led 70-58 with 10:49 left in the third.
Meanwhile, Toronto couldn’t handle the Suns on Thursday and lost 120-113. The Raptors have now received an “L” in back-to-back games.
This defeat does not tell the whole story, because several players had good matches. One of the most active was Immanuel Quickley, who almost had a triple-double with 21 points, nine rebounds and 18 assists.
Portland dropped its record to 17-45 with the loss, which was its ninth straight at home. These losses could be attributed to the team’s lackluster offensive performance during this span, as they averaged just 102.3 points per game. As for Toronto, their loss ended a three-game away winning streak and brought them to 23-40.
The Trail Blazers beat the Raptors 99-91 in their last game in October 2023. Will the Trail Blazers repeat their success or will the Raptors have a better game plan this time around? We’ll know soon enough.
Odds
Toronto is a slight 2.5 point favorite over Portland, according to the latest NBA Odds.
Oddsmakers had a good idea of the line for this one, as the game opened with the Raptors as 1.5-point favorites.
The over/under is 227 points.
See NBA Pick for every game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get Picks Now.
History of the series
Portland has won 6 of its last 10 games against Toronto.
- October 30, 2023 – Portland 99 vs. Toronto 91
- January 28, 2023 – Toronto 123 vs. Portland 105
- January 8, 2023 – Toronto 117 vs. Portland 105
- January 23, 2022 – Portland 114 vs. Toronto 105
- November 15, 2021 – Portland 118 vs. Toronto 113
- March 28, 2021 – Portland 122 vs. Toronto 117
- January 11, 2021 – Portland 112 vs. Toronto 111
- January 7, 2020 – Portland 101 vs. Toronto 99
- November 13, 2019 – Toronto 114 vs. Portland 106
- March 1, 2019 – Toronto 119 vs. Portland 117
