Without Aldridge, Blazers Host Spurs

LaMarcus Aldridge will sit with a groin injury for at least a week.

With this past weekend’s All-Star festivities in the rear view mirror, the Portland Trail Blazers return to action Wednesday night with a tough contest against the Southwest Division-leading San Antonio Spurs.

To make things even tougher, the Blazers will take to the hardwood without All-Star forward LaMarcus Aldridge.

Tip-off at Moda Center is scheduled for 10:00 p.m. ET.

Portland (36-17, 19-6 home) surprised many with its strong start to the season, a start that at one point had the Pacific Northwest team competing for top spot in the Western Conference.

The road got a little rockier for Terry Stotts’ side as All-Star weekend approached, with the team losing six of its last nine before the break.

Stotts will hope the six-day layoff is enough to spark his team heading into the home stretch.

The Blazers will face an unfamiliar hurdle for at least the next week after it was announced Tuesday that Aldridge would sit with a groin injury.

Aldridge along with his fellow starters – Damian Lillard, Wesley Matthews, Nicolas Batum, and Robin Lopez – has started every game for the Blazers this season.

The eight-year forward out of the University of Texas is one of only five players in the league to average more than 20 points and 10 rebounds, having tallied 23.9 points and 11.4 rebounds per contest. Both represent career bests, while Aldridge leads the Blazers in both categories.

Aldridge had big outings in Portland’s two meetings with the Spurs earlier this season, averaging 25 points and 10 rebounds. Both games resulted in wins for the Blazers.

The Blazers’ front office is reporting that Aldridge’s injury will be reassessed next week.

With forward Joel Freeland (knee) out for the season and center Meyers Leonard (ankle) also out indefinitely, the Blazers will be short of bodies in the front court. Expect Lopez, who has had an outstanding year so far, to carry the workload alongside Lillard.

Gregg Popovich will have no sympathy for Stotts and the Blazers. The Spurs head coach has rarely had a full complement of players to choose from this season. Wednesday night will be no different.

San Antonio (39-15, 21-7 road) will go into Wednesday’s game without All-Star guard Tony Parker, his backcourt partner Kawhi Leonard (hand), and most likely center Tiago Splitter (calf).

Ahead of Tuesday’s 113-103 win over the Los Angeles Clippers, the Spurs announced that Parker would be missing for “the foreseeable future” with a “variety of maladies.”

Both Parker and Portland’s Aldridge played limited minutes in Sunday’s All-Star Game in New Orleans.

With both teams missing key components, Wednesday’s showdown – the third of four between the sides this year – becomes a pick’em game.

San Antonio Spurs vs. Portland Trail Blazers odds for 02/19/2014

Playing at home, Portland opened as the favorite when lines were released for this game earlier.

The Blazers are 2-0 against the Spurs this season, having won at home and away. Furthermore, Portland has won four of the last five head-to-head matchups and nine of the last 10 when hosting the Spurs in the Rose City.

The spread opened at 3.5.

Portland (29-24-0 ATS) has fared better than San Antonio (26-28-0 ATS) against the spread during the season, but neither has been great of late.

The Blazers are 5-8-0 ATS in their last 13. The Spurs are 6-11-0 ATS in their last 17. However, Portland has covered three of its last four while San Antonio has covered its last two, including Tuesday’s upset win over the Clippers.

Portland may have the advantage against the spread though; the Blazers are 10-2-0 ATS in their last 12 games when hosting the Spurs.

The over/under opened at 212.5.

Both Portland (33-19-1) and San Antonio (32-22-0) have favored the over this season, although the two previous meetings have split the over/under.

The total has gone over in five of the last seven head-to-head meetings between the sides and four of San Antonio’s last five trips to Portland.

The Blazers will travel to San Antonio on March 12 to close out the regular season head-to-head.

For a full list of today’s NBA odds, click here.

For the latest NBA futures odds, click here.

For the latest NBA team prop bets, click here.

For the latest NBA player prop bets, click here.