NBA Sunday: Frank on Thunder v Trail Blazers, Jazz v Rockets

Thunder (+3.5) @ Trail Blazers (225)
Pick: Trail Blazers -3.5
I would guess this is a game where sharps and squares are on opposite sides. The squares see the Thunder getting points as the favorite in this series and will run to the window to back Russell Westbrook and company. However, sharps will take a more nuanced approach to this game. Yes, Portland is without Jusuf Nurkic and yes, Oklahoma City probably wins this series. But, are we really to assume the Trail Blazers will roll over in the first round for the second year in a row? Remember, Portland got swept as a higher seed by New Orleans last season. Only Denver and Sacramento were better ATS in the regular season at home than Portland. Even if you like the Thunder in this series, do you really think it’s going to be a piece of cake? The Trail Blazers are going to win at least one of their first two home games here and we’re guessing it’s Sunday’s opener.

Jazz (+6.5) @ Rockets (214)
Pick: Jazz +6.5
In the top half of the Western Conference playoff bracket, it seems like everyone is simulating to Golden State and Houston in the next round. A rematch of last year’s Western Conference Finals when the Rockets had the Warriors on the ropes and might have won the series had it not been for Chris Paul’s injury is too enticing to not look ahead too. The Rockets themselves might not be looking ahead to that matchup, but usually in any sport when fans and media members start pegging a certain playoff matchup in a future round, things get complicated in the current round. A good example from March Madness was when the bracket came out, the intrigue of Duke-North Carolina IV for the national championship was too appealing not to discuss. Sure enough, neither team made it to the Final Four. None of this is to say that Houston is going to lose to Utah, but this series should be fairly competitive from start to finish. There’s enough high-end talent on the Utah roster for the Jazz to have a puncher’s chance at the upset. We’ll take the points here, expecting this game to be a forerunner of what’s to come in this series.