Trail Blazers vs Clippers Prediction, Picks & Odds for Tonight’s NBA Game

Jason Logan: Senior Betting Analyst at Covers
Jason Logan • Senior Betting Analyst 21+ years betting experience
Updated: Mar 31, 2026 , 09:08 PM ET • 4 min read

Tonight's tilt between the Trail Blazers and Clippers will have a playoff-like atmosphere. Jason Logan is banking on the Blazers' lockdown defense to slow L.A.'s super-sub Bennedict Mathurin.

NBA

Mar 31 • 11:00 PM ET
POR
31 %
LAC
69 %
EXPERT PICK - PROP
Bennedict Mathurin u17.5  Points Scored (-125) Bennedict Mathurin u17.5 Points Scored (-125)
See Today's Picks
Los Angeles Clippers Bennedict Mathurin NBA
Photo By - Reuters Connect. Los Angeles Clippers guard Bennedict Mathurin.

There’s a “2-for-1” deal inside Intuit Dome when the Los Angeles Clippers host the Portland Trail Blazers tonight. These Western Conference rivals are Nos. 8 and 9, respectively, in the Western Conference standings, which means a victory is twice as nice. 

Los Angeles is on a five-game run, but kicking the tires on that tear sees L.A. taking advantage of some NBA bottom-feeders.

My Trail Blazers vs. Clippers predictions and NBA picks believe L.A. reserve Bennedict Mathurin has gotten fat off that cupcake competition, and aren’t convinced he’ll keep the points coming.

Trail Blazers vs Clippers prediction

Trail Blazers vs Clippers best bet: Bennedict Mathurin Under 17.5 points (-125)

Bennedict Mathurin has been massive for the Los Angeles Clippers' turnaround the past two months. 

The 6-foot-5 guard gives L.A. a shot of energy off the bench, upping his scoring to 20+ points per game since the beginning of February. Mathurin has been especially hot in his last nine outings, averaging almost 23 points since March 7.

Helping heap on the points has been a schedule littered with lousy defenses. Four of those last nine games came against teams ranked Bottom 4 in defensive rating since the All-Star break (Indiana, Milwaukee, Sacramento, Memphis), along with a 26-point showing versus Chicago (21st).

Tuesday’s tilt brings a sneaky-good Portland Trail Blazers team to Los Angeles. Portland has also roughed up some weaker foes in recent games but sits No. 4 in defensive rating since the break and will approach this vital matchup with a playoff-like intensity.

The Blazers blitz opposing ball-handlers with smothering pressure and force them to get rid of the rock. That tactic has Portland giving up the third-fewest points to guards across the Association (47.2 per game).

Mathurin relies on getting to the foul line to pick up points, going to the stripe at least nine times in seven of his last nine outings. He won’t be able to get into attack mode versus that Portland press.

Projections all sit below his scoring prop, with my number just north of 15 points. That should have this Under 17.5 priced around -200 rather than the modest ask of -125.

Enjoying Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account Add as a preferred source on Google

Trail Blazers vs Clippers same-game parlay

The Clippers have boosted their stock against some bad teams recently. Portland is a stiff defensive challenge for L.A,. and our game models see the Clippers escaping but not covering as home chalk.

The forecasted final also comes up short of the current Over/Under total. The Trail Blazers can’t match the firepower of the Clippers and will try to turn this into a grinder of a game.

Trail Blazers vs Clippers SGP

  • Trail Blazers +5.5
  • Under 227.5
  • Bennedict Mathurin Under 17.5 points

Our "from downtown" SGP: Chairmen of the boards

The Trail Blazers need this win to keep pace in the playoff race, but won’t win a shootout against the Clippers. Defense is the name of the game for Portland, which keeps the score low and Jrue Holiday and Deni Avdija busy on the glass. Both Blazers are projected to top their rebound markets tonight.

Trail Blazers vs Clippers SGP

  • Trail Blazers moneyline
  • Under 227.5
  • Jrue Holiday Over 3.5 rebounds
  • Deni Avdija Over 6.5 rebounds

Trail Blazers vs Clippers odds

  • Spread: Trail Blazers +5.5 | Clippers -5.5
  • Moneyline: Trail Blazers +180 | Clippers -220
  • Over/Under: Over 227.5 | Under 227.5

Trail Blazers vs Clippers betting trend to know

The Trail Blazers are 7-14 Over/Under (63% Unders) as road underdogs this season. Find more NBA betting trends for Trail Blazers vs. Clippers.

How to watch Trail Blazers vs Clippers

Location Intuit Dome, Inglewood, CA
Date Tuesday, March 31, 2026
Tip-off 11:00 p.m. ET
TV Peacock

Trail Blazers vs Clippers latest injuries

Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.

Pages related to this topic

Jason Logan Senior Industry Analyst Covers.com
Senior Betting Analyst

In his 20 years with Covers, lead NFL betting analyst Jason Logan has seen it all and bet it all. Through the wild west of early Internet gambling to lobbying for legalized sports betting to our brave new wagering world, Jason has been a consistent source of actionable info and entertainment for squares and sharps alike.

Since joining the Covers team back in 2005, he honed his handicapping skills to provide audiences with the most thorough insights, blending traditional capping methods with advanced modelling and predictive analysis. Jason has studied the ins and outs of the sports betting business, learning from some of the most successful gamblers in the industry and the biggest sportsbook operators on the planet.

He is under center for Covers during NFL season as our top NFL expert, taking the points in his infamous NFL Underdogs column and representing the Covers Community at the Super Bowl. While he lives for football season, Jason's first love is basketball and that shows in his in-depth NBA, NCAA, and WNBA betting breakdowns.

On top of being a mainstay in media from coast to coast at stations like WPIX, PHL17, Fox 5 San Diego, WGNO, TSN, SportsNet, ESPN Radio, Jason's analysis has also been featured in USA Today, MSNBC, ESPN, the Wall Street Journal, CBS, Bloomberg, the L.A. Times, the New York Times and other major publications. You can also find JLo stuffing all the top picks and predictions he can into 10 minutes as the host of Covers' flagship podcast, The Sharp 600.

Popular Content

Covers is verified safe by: Evalon Logo GPWA Logo GDPR Logo GeoTrust Logo Evalon Logo