The NBA returns with Western Conference action tonight as the Portland Trail Blazers host the Minnesota Timberwolves. Both teams are struggling at the moment, but the Timberwolves are in a worse spot. They have lost five consecutive games, whereas the Blazers have lost their last two. Tonight, they face off at the Moda Center at 10 pm EST.

Portland Trail Blazers expected lineup

The Trail Blazers will continue to miss Rodney Hood, who suffered a quad injury. He has missed their last two games and is unlikely to return in time for tonight’s clash. So the Blazers will miss his scoring off the bench.

Their lineup has been unchanged so far, and it will stay the same tonight. So they will start with Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum as the guards, Robert Covington and Derrick Jones Jr as the forwards, and Jusuf Nurkic as the center.

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Minnesota Timberwolves expected lineup

The Timberwolves won their first two games with Karl-Anthony Towns, but lost every game since he injured his wrist. Unfortunately for them, he is going to miss tonight’s clash as well. Josh Okogie will also miss his fourth game in a row due to a hamstring injury.

So they will have an unchanged lineup from their last game. D’Angelo Russell will start alongside Malik Beasley as the guards, Jarrett Culver and Juancho Hernangomez will start as the forwards, and Ed Davis will be their starting center. Fans will be eager to see rookie Anthony Edwards first start, but so far Beasley’s excellent form has kept him out.

Predictions

With the Timberwolves struggling at this rate, it isn’t tough to pick the Blazers as the winners. Although the Blazers have had their own struggles, the Timberwolves don’t have the defense to stop Lillard and McCollum. It could be a big scoring night for both of them, who will be eager to redeem themselves for the Bulls’ loss.

The Blazers grew stronger in the off-season, but they are not playing up to their expectations so far. Their next four games are all winnable, and they should aim to make the best out of the opportunity to build a solid playoff spot.