NBA: Playoffs-Houston Rockets at Portland Trail Blazers
NBA: Playoffs-Houston Rockets at Portland Trail Blazers Reuters

Is this an exciting NBA Playoffs? The Houston-Portland series alone has provided more than that with three overtime games played in the last four games.

Thanks to the crunchtime plays of Damian Lillard and the explosion of LaMarcus Aldridge, their Trail Blazers have grabbed the series control by the horns: Portland leads Houston, 3-1 in this best-of-seven affair.

All is not lost for Houston however as the next game—a possible clincher for Portland—is played in the expectedly loud Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Can James Harden and Dwight Howard play through all the emotions after gut-wrenching overtime losses in Game 3 and Game 4? Can they draw enough energy from their home crowd and have the mental capacity to outplay these tough Trail Blazers?

Betting Lines: Portland Trail Blazers (+5.5) vs. Houston Rockets (O/U: 213.5)
 Game time: 11:30 am AEDT

Portland Trail Blazers Trends
 - The Trail Blazers are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games on the road
- The Trail Blazers are 2-2 ATS in this series
- The Trail Blazers are 2-7 ATS in their last 9 games after a two-day rest

Why Bet on Portland:
 Why not, they are underdogs by 5.5 points (total disrespect from the books even with a commanding series lead) and they have Lillard (25.5 PPG, 6.0 RPG and 7.5 APG this series) and Aldridge (35.3 PPG, 11.5 RPG and 3.0 BPG), inarguable the top duo in this postseason so far.

Houston Rockets Trends
 - The Rockets are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games vs. Northwest division teams
- The Rockets are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games after a loss
- The Rockets are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games at home

Why Bet on Houston:
 Backs against the wall, desperation mode and a great crowd behind them; surely, Harden, Howard and company do not just want to fold.