Prediction: Portland Trail Blazers VS New Orleans Pelicans 2025-07-15
Portland Trail Blazers vs. New Orleans Pelicans: A Summer League Showdown
Where Yang Hansen Dreams of Jokic and Caleb Love Shoots Like a Sieve
Parse the Odds: The Numbers Don’t Lie (Mostly)
The New Orleans Pelicans are the decided favorite here, per the odds. Converting decimal odds to implied probabilities:
- Pelicans: 1.8 (Fanatics/DraftKings) → ~55.6% chance to win.
- Blazers: 2.05 → ~48.8% chance.
That’s a 7-point gap in implied probability, which feels generous for a Summer League game where rosters are rotating faster than a spin class. The spread reflects this: Pelicans are -1.5 to -2.5, meaning bookmakers expect them to win by a hair. The total is locked at 179.5-180.5, suggesting a low-scoring, “let’s-not-embarrass-our-coach” affair.
Key stat: The Blazers’ last game was a 96-86 loss to Memphis. Their offense? A tragicomedy. Caleb Love shot 7-for-21 (33%) and buried 3-of-9 threes (33.3%), which is about as effective as a sieve in a bakery. Meanwhile, rookie Yang Hansen (yes, the guy compared to Nikola Jokic) dropped 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists, playing “high post wizard” with the confidence of a man who’s hoarding 15 beachfront condos on “Yang Island,” per Ryen Russillo.
Digest the News: Injuries, Rumors, and One Very Confused Center
The Blazers’ biggest story is Yang Hansen, whose Summer League debut has drawn raves. Brian Windhorst of The Hoop Collective noted Yang’s Jokic-esque study habits, which is high praise unless you’re a defensive coordinator trying to guard a 7-foot point guard. But let’s not forget the team’s supporting cast:
- Caleb Love: The Duke product is… efficient as a sprinkler system. His 18-point game last time came on 33% shooting, which is like ordering a pizza and only eating the crust.
- Rupert: The guy who torched the first game? Stranded on 3 points and 5 fouls. We assume he’s now paying for his own housing in the Summer League version of The Circle.
As for the Pelicans? We’re in the dark. No news, no injuries, no quotes—just a blank canvas. But when a team is favored by 55.6%, you assume they’ve got a guy who can actually shoot.
Humorous Spin: Why This Game Feels Like a Reality TV Show
Yang Hansen’s Jokic comparisons are either genius or a marketing ploy. Let’s split the difference: If Jokic is a triple-double machine, Yang is a… triple-Instagram-post machine. His 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists look stellar until you realize the Grizzlies’ defense was probably just tired of his real estate empire.
Caleb Love, meanwhile, is living the dream of every awkward teenager: shooting 33% from deep while his coach awkwardly avoids answering questions. (“In his three-minute postgame interview, Love was asked about his performance, but no specific quotes were provided.” Ah, the classic NBA radio silence.).
And let’s not forget the Pelicans, who are presumably fielding a team that includes at least one guy named “Drew” and a future Hall of Famer’s summer project. They’re -2.0 favorites, which is about as shocking as a hot summer day in July.
Prediction: Who’s Cooking Tonight?
The Pelicans win this one, 88-83. Why?
1. Odds say so: 55.6% implied probability isn’t a typo.
2. Blazers’ offense is a leaky faucet: Even with Yang’s magic, Caleb Love’s shooting could power a hydroelectric dam.
3. Summer League logic: Teams with “Pelicans” in their name usually have better seafood metaphors than “Blazers.”
But here’s the twist: Bet the Blazers +2.5 for the spread. Yes, they’ll lose, but they’ll do it with enough drama to fill a season of Survivor. Yang Hansen will drop 15+ points, and someone—probably not Rupert—will finally remember how to shoot.
Final Verdict: Pelicans win, but the Blazers make you question every life choice that led you to watch Summer League.
“The Blazers’ offense is like a GPS: it promises a shortcut, then sends you to a swamp.”
Created: July 15, 2025, 1:18 p.m. GMT