Houston at Portland

The Portland Trailblazers started the season as a strong surprise in the rugged Western Conference. They appeared to hit the wall, enduring a 12-17 stretch over 29 games. They have their mojo back as they have been 11-1 in their last 12 games. They also have a 2-0 series lead - without stepping onto their home court yet. If you remove the bad stretch, the Blazers have been 44-11 in their other 55 games, and have played like that team over their last 12, spilling over over into the playoffs. This series has certainly been offensive, but a lot of that has occurred at the end of games or overtime. Looking at the first two games, the first half has averaged 101.5 points per game while the second half comes in at 128 ppg. Houston has their backs to the wall, and will make a stronger effort on the defensive end of the floor early. That seems to be the case in the first two games by both teams, and I expect that to intensify here. The Rockets have struggled against good teams, as they are 3-10 ATS in their last 13 vs. a winning team, and are 0-5 ATS in their last five on the road vs. a team with a winning home record. Portland is 5-1 ATS in their last six vs. an elite team, one over .600. The first half plays out normally, and the total is too high. Portland is 44-11 outside their swoon, and is on top of their game right now. Take Portland and play the first half UNDER.