This matchup is a Western Conference showdown between two of the league's best defenses. Let's dive right into our Trail Blazers-Mavericks picks.
The Trail Blazers split the first two games of their current six-game road trip and have rattled off three straight wins. That's impressive considering there are multiple players who have been in and out of the rotation due to injuries. The list includes Damian Lillard, Jusuf Nurkic, Anfernee Simons, and Jerami Grant.
Despite their misfortune on the injury front, the Blazers boast the third-best scoring defense in the NBA, yielding 106.6 points per contest. Jerami Grant led the way with 23 points (on just 11 shot attempts) along with eight boards and two steals during the team's 106-95 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday night.
Meanwhile, the Mavericks boast the fourth-best scoring defense in the association (allowing 106.7 points per outing). But the team is amid a two-game losing skid.