Portland at Golden State

This is a high total because Portland likes to run, but this is playoff time where coaches demand defense the whole game. Golden State is a powerful defensive team at #11 in the NBA in points allowed, tops in field goal shooting (.435) defense, plus tops in three-point (.324) defense. Portland is #12 in field goal defense, and 10-4 UNDER the total when the Trail Blazers are working on three or more days of rest. Portland heads out on the road for Game 1 and the Blazers are 16-36-1 ATS away against a team with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. They are also 7-19-2 ATS in their last 28 Conference Quarterfinals games. Golden State has star Kevin Durant back just in time for the postseason stage, a team with an embarrassment of star power. The Warriors are on a 12-3-1 spread run, plus 10-0-1 ATS when their opponent tops 100 points the previous contest. Golden State is also on a 42-19 run UNDER the total, 10-3 UNDER at home, and 20-6 ATS in their last 26 Conference Quarterfinals games. With the layoff, look for the defenses to be ahead of the offenses in the first half. When they last met there was more scoring in the second half, with the Warriors leading 53-50 in the first half. Also, in the first meeting at Golden State this season, Portland scored just 45 first half points. The Blazers are also 6-20 ATS when they play at Golden State. Take Golden State, the UNDER and the first half UNDER.