Posted at 1:30 PM EST. Odds subject to change.

Pinnacle O26½ -117 BET365 O26½ -110 Sportsinteraction O26½ -105 888Sport O26½ -118

Damian Lillard over 26½

Best Odds: -105 at Sportsinteraction

10:10 PM EST. The Portland Trailblazers will host the Milwaukee Bucks tonight, in a game that usually comes without much pomp and circumstance. The Bucks are predictably massive favorites, and after a loss to the Nuggets, last year's champs and the measuring stick for any current NBA program, we imagine Milwaukee will be fired up and ready to clobber the Blazers tonight. We lean Bucks -10.5 full game, but we see a better and more valuable opportunity.

Damian Lillard returns to Portland Wednesday, to the same city and same franchise where he spent 11 seasons. Portland GM Joe Cronic called the superstar point-guard "the best Trail Blazer to ever put on the uniform," and we can't disagree. The acclaimed three-point sharpshooter held an under-talented Blazers' roster on his shoulders for over a decade, scraping and clawing his best to try and win the fanbase a championship, but it never came to be. Reports say that when Lillard received a call from his agent this offseason, detailing the proposed deal with Milwaukee, he had a hard time accepting his fate. Lillard brought 30 family members with him to Portland, many of whom still reside outside the city, and probably figured he would spend his entire career there, despite the disappointing results.

But tonight Dame-Time will likely be greeted with fanfare, not animosity. The city loves him and he loves the city. Just ask Adidas, who named their Portland HQ basketball court in honor of their departed star. 

Of course it helps that the Blazers are one of the worst defenses in the association, ranked in the bottom third all season. It also helps that they allow opponents to shoot 49.5% (26th) from the floor. But none of that really matters tonight. Arguably no player has given more to a city and franchise as Lillard did for Portland. We imagine the Bucks will force-feed him the ball all game, and since his point-total isn't overly inflated considering the situation, we simply must fire. Lillard is averaging 25 ppg - think that has a decent shot to just go 2 points over that mark tonight? Same.

Farley

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