Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Vegas Play of the Day: Hornets at Trail Blazers

Portland Trail Blazers

Craig Mitchelldyer / AP

Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard, center, and center Mason Plumlee, right, react after Lillard made a 3-point basket over Los Angeles Clippers guard Austin Rivers, left, during the first half of Game 6 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Friday, April 29, 2016, in Portland, Ore.

We’re entering the third season of the annual South Point-lined Play of the Day competition, effective July 1.

Starting bankrolls have reset to $10,000, with the maximum bet being to win $1,000 and the minimum wager $300. Ray Brewer won the 2015-2016 season, after Taylor Bern prevailed in 2014-2015. Bern stepped away in the middle of the 2016-2017 season with a 16-12 record and $13,317 bankroll, with Mike Grimala taking his place.

Charlotte Hornets plus-3.5 at Portland Trail Blazers, $550 to win $500 :

The Hornets have been up and down this season, usually finding themselves in the midst of a winning or losing streak. Right now, things look bad, as Charlotte has lost its last four games. But the Hornets also endured a five-game losing streak earlier this month, a streak that was snapped when they pulled together to blow out, yes, the Portland Trail Blazers.

What makes me confident that the Blazers will once again be the cure-all for Charlotte? The matchup at point guard is a good one for the Hornets, as Kemba Walker is hot right now (26.0 points per game over the last four games), and Blazers' guard Damian Lillard generally struggles to contain high-scoring point guards.

In the last meeting between these teams, Walker scored 23 points on 8-of-14 shooting while posting a plus/minus rating of +13 in the Hornets' 107-85 home win. Look for the shoot-first guard to be similarly efficient tonight as he leads Charlotte to a cover.

Current Standings: Keefer (36-25-2, $11,561), Brewer (22-21-1, $9,145), Grimala (4-4, $9,550), Granger (9-10, $7,400)

Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.

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