Portland battles the surging Clippers in a critical clash. A playoff play-in bid hangs in the balance for the Blazers.
The Portland Trail Blazers will host the LA Clippers on Friday night at Moda Center in what is easily the biggest game of the season for Portland. The Blazers enter at 40-40, while the Clippers are 41-39 and currently hold the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference, with Portland sitting ninth. A win would pull the Blazers level in the standings and give them a real shot at finishing with the No. 8 spot, while a loss would make that path far more difficult.
How to Watch
- Date: April 10
- Time (PT): 7:00 PM
- Location: Moda Center | Portland, OR
- TV: Rip City Television Network or BlazerVision
Game Outlook
This game carries massive play-in implications for Portland. The difference between the No. 8 and No. 9 seeds is enormous, because the No. 8 seed only needs one win to make the playoffs and also gets a second chance if it loses the first play-in game. For the Blazers, that is what is on the line Friday night against a Clippers team they are chasing directly in the standings.
The biggest question entering the matchup is Portland’s health on the wing. Shaedon Sharpe and Vit Krejci were both upgraded to questionable on the injury report ahead of this game on Thursday after missing time, and even the possibility of getting either one back would be a real boost for the rotation. Sharpe, in particular, would give Portland an added offensive creator in a game where every possession is going to matter.
The challenge, of course, is that the Clippers have been rolling down the stretch. They’ve struggled more recently, but have been one of the hotter teams in the league over the last couple of months, turning an uneven start into a strong late push. That is what makes this such a big moment for Portland. The Blazers have homecourt advantage, the crowd should be fully engaged, and if they can capitalize, they can change the shape of their postseason path in one night.
Betting Odds
- Spread: Trail Blazers -2.5 (+104)
- Moneyline: Trail Blazers -122
- Over/Under: 225.5
Following this contest, the Trail Blazers will close the regular season at home against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday. On paper that is a more favorable matchup, but the result of Friday night’s showdown with the Clippers will likely determine exactly what is still on the line when Portland takes the floor for the finale.