OKC Thunder vs. Portland Trail Blazers Game 5: Prediction, Pick Against The Spread For 2019 Playoffs

Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder are headed for a third straight early exit in the NBA playoffs. The Portland Trail Blazers took a commanding 3-1 first-round series lead Sunday night, and they should advance with a Game 5 victory at home Tuesday night.

Portland's two best players have been everything the Blazers have needed and more this postseason. The same can't be said for the Thunder's stars, and that's largely why Oklahoma City’s playoff run is about to come to an end.

Outside of Westbrook’s Game 3 performance in which he made four three-pointers, the point guard hasn't been nearly efficient enough for the Thunder to compete with the Blazers. He's shooting 30.4 percent from three-point range and 36.3 percent from the field this series. Westbrook isn't averaging a triple-double and filling the stat sheet like he normally does, and he's got a PER of just 14.2.

Paul George has been a disappointment, as well. A lingering shoulder injury probably has a lot to do with that, and the ailment has made him a far less effective shooter over the last few months. No matter the reason, George is still on the court and underperforming, making just 37 percent of his shots.

Westbrook was held without a basket in the second half of Game 4 when the Thunder blew a chance to tie the series. It was during that time that Damian Lillard took over, proving once again why he is the best guard in the series.

Lillard scored 15 points in the third quarter of Game 4. He's tied for the league lead with 28.8 points per game this postseason. The All-Star is doing it by shooting 43.9 percent from the field and 44.4 percent from three-point range.

CJ McCollum hasn't only been the second-best player for the Blazers: he's been the second-best player in the entire series. McCollum has a higher PER than both Westbrook and George, scoring 26.3 points on 20.5 shots per game. The shooting guard is also adding 6.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game.

Lillard and McCollum have made a few big shots this series when the Thunder were looking to make late fourth-quarter runs. Portland has to be feeling really good as they return home with those two players leading the way.

The Blazers have been dominant in Portland this season, going 32-9 at home before taking the first two games of the series in Portland. The Thunder haven't won a road playoff game since Kevin Durant left after the 2016 postseason.

That's probably not going to change in Game 5. The odds of Westbrook having one of his strong shooting nights are not particularly high. The same goes for George, who clearly isn't the same player that looked like an MVP candidate before the All-Star break.

Oklahoma City's supporting cast has shot poorly in three of the four games. While the Thunder's role players have come up short in this series, a different Blazer has stepped up his game in each of the team's victories. Enes Kanter did it in the Game 1 when he scored 20 points and grabbed 18 rebounds. It was Al-Farouq Aminu’s turn in Game 4 as he scored 19 points on four-of-nine shooting from three-point range.

All of the evidence is pointing toward Portland closing out the series Tuesday night. Oklahoma City can’t survive it's two best players both shooting no better than 37 percent from the field as the Blazers’ backcourt continues to have clutch performances.

The Blazers are only three-point favorites in Game 5, according to the latest betting line at OddsShark, and the total is 218.5. With the way Portland’s stars have outperformed Westbrook and George, the Blazers might cover that spread comfortably.

Prediction against the spread: Portland over Oklahoma City, 115-106