Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs will look to grab a 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven series against Deni Avdija and the Portland Trail Blazers tonight at Frost Bank Center.
After trailing early in the first quarter in Game 1, the Spurs ended the opening twelve minutes on a 21-9 run, that was capped off by a Keldon Johnson 3-pointer at the buzzer. San Antonio would lead by as many as 21 points and go on to win the opening game of the series at home, 111-98. The Spurs were led by a game-high 35 points from Victor Wembanyama who made an immediate impact in his first career playoff game. Portland All-Star Deni Avdija led the way for the Trail Blazers with 30 points and 10 rebounds.
Advertisement
In what was their first career NBA playoff games, both Wembanyama and Avdija made history for their respective franchises. Wembanyama’s 35 points were the most points by a Spurs’ player in their playoff debut. He also knocked down a team record five, three-pointers (also a record for a Spurs player in his playoff debut). Avdija, the 25-year-old from Israel, scored 30 points to go along with 10 rebounds and 5 assists. He became the first Portland player ever to post a 30/10/5 stat line in a playoff game and also became the third player in NBA history to post a 30/10/5 stat line in their playoff debut (Julius Erving – 1977, LeBron James – 2006).
The ultimate differences in Game 1 came down to the contributions or lack thereof from the supporting cast of each team and the Spurs’ surprising control of the glass. Four of the Spurs’ role players scored in double figures (Stephon Castle, De’Aaron Fox, Devin Vassell, and Luke Kornet) while only Scoot Henderson hit double digits in the scoring column for Portland. San Antonio beat Portland at their own game on the glass in Game 1. The Trail Blazers were second in the NBA in offensive rebounding (14.1 OREB/gm) and led the NBA in second chance points (18.5 per gm) in the regular season, but the Spurs held a +7 advantage on the boards (45-38) and totaled 11 OREBs compared to Portland’s 8 offensive boards in the series opener.
Lets take a closer look at tonight’s matchup and take into consideration lineups, injuries, and other factors affecting the line and total.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds courtesy of DraftKings recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
After 24 years, the NBA is back on NBC and Peacock, combining the nostalgia of an iconic era with the innovative future of basketball coverage. The NBA on NBC YouTube channel delivers fans must-see highlights, analysis, and exclusive and unique content.
Advertisement
Game Details and How to Watch Live: Spurs vs. Trail Blazers
-
Date: Tuesday, April 21, 2026
-
Network/Streaming: NBC/Peacock
Rotoworld has you covered with all the latest NBA Player News for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Game Odds: Trail Blazers vs. Spurs
The latest odds as of Tuesday courtesy of DraftKings:
-
Moneyline: Portland Trail Blazers (+470), San Antonio Spurs (-650)
This game opened Spurs -12.5 with the Game Total set at 218.5.
Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!
Expected Starting Lineups: Trail Blazers vs. Spurs
Portland Trail Blazers
Advertisement
San Antonio Spurs
Injury Report: Spurs vs. Trail Blazers
San Antonio Spurs
Portland Trail Blazers
Important stats, trends and insights: Spurs vs. Trail Blazers
-
The Spurs are 33-8 at home this season
-
The Blazers are 19-24 on the road this season
-
The Spurs are 46-36-2 ATS this season
-
Portland is 45-39 ATS this season
-
The OVER has cashed in 43 of the Blazers’ 84 games this season (43-41)
-
The OVER has cashed in 36 of the Spurs’ 84 games this season (36-48)
-
Victor Wembanyama was named the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year on Monday
-
Wembanyama is the first unanimous winner of the award
-
Deni Avdija was named a finalist for the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award
Rotoworld Best Bet
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Advertisement
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Tuesday’s Spurs and Trail Blazers game:
-
Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline
-
Spread: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Spurs -11.5 ATS
-
Total: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total UNDER 219.5
Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions page from NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
-
Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
-
Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
-
Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
-
Trysta Krick (@Trysta_Krick)
Read the full article here
