Portland Trail Blazers vs Golden State Warriors Prediction & Betting Tips - NBA

Prediction published on 23/10/2024, 05:00  by Joseph King | Modified on 23/10/2024 at 05:15 in NBA Predictions

The final time slot in Wednesday’s NBA slate sees Portland hosting Golden State as these Western Conference teams kick off their 2024/25 seasons. We’ve got a prediction ready for you in this match between the Trail Blazers and the Warriors!

The Trail Blazers' rebuild continues after finishing 21-61 last year for the worst record in the West. Portland haven’t been competitive since the 2020/21 season and dealing star point guard Damian Lillard two years ago signified the end of the ‘Dame time’ era.

There is some young talent on this squad in the form of Scoot Henderson, Anfernee Simons, Deni Avdija and the recently drafted big man Donovan Clingan. With veterans such as Jerami Grant, Devonte Graham and Deandre Ayton, there’s an interesting mix in Rip City.

After winning the title in 2022, the Warriors finally started to show their age over the past two years. The Dubs finished 46-36 in 2023/24 and were eliminated in the play-in tournament, marking only the third time in the last 12 seasons that they missed the playoffs.

As a result, the front office made some moves in the offseason, most notably dealing Klay Thompson to the Mavericks. This allowed them to add some depth to the squad with additions such as sharpshooter Buddy Hield.