Trail Blazers 2020-21 Schedule: Top Games, Championship Odds, Record Predictions

The Portland Trail Blazers have managed to build themselves into a playoff mainstay in recent years, having made the postseason every year since the 2013-14 season after Damian Lillard emerged as the face of the franchise under head coach Terry Stotts.

Closing the year with their first losing record since 2012-13, the Blazers made it through the NBA bubble and into the first round, where they fell to the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers in five games.

However, they faced more than their fair share of adversity throughout a unique season, with go-to small forward Trevor Ariza choosing to opt out of the NBA restart in Orlando, Florida, and center Jusuf Nurkic having to work his way back to the court following a compound leg fracture under immense pressure when results mattered most.

After a not-so-glamorous return to action for the Trail Blazers, here's what is ahead of them as they try to make their eighth consecutive postseason run. 

2020-21 Trail Blazers Schedule Details

Season Opener: Dec. 23 vs. Utah Jazz

Championship Odds: +5500 (via FanDuel)

First-Half Schedule: NBA.com

Top Matchups

Sacramento Kings: Jan. 9

The Kings, who haven't made the playoffs since they lost in the first round in the 2005-06 season, still weren't able to find their missing piece. They finished 31-41 under Luke Walton, who took over in Sacramento in April 2019. 

Sacramento has glimmers of hope in a lineup that starts De'Aaron Fox, and it managed to challenge the Trail Blazers in 2020.

Having had more time to jell together, they'll continue to push Portland this season. 

Memphis Grizzlies: Jan. 20

Before they fell to the Lakers in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs, the Trail Blazers had to go through the Memphis Grizzlies in the league's first-ever postseason play-in game. 

Portland put everything it had on display, with Lillard dropping 31 points to increase his bubble average to 37.6 and earn the title of seeding-game MVP, while CJ McCollum played through a back fracture and Nurkic was mourning the death of his grandmother. 

It was an emotionally charged outing for Portland and a brutal ending for the Grizzlies, who only won 33 games in 2019-20 but were four points short of their first playoff run since the 2016-17 season. 

When the two teams meet again on Jan. 20, the feelings from the previous must-win game could factor into an intense contest as the two squads try to take an advantage for the season.

Season Forecast

It's been an offseason full of player movement for the Trail Blazers. Gone are stalwarts Hassan Whiteside (Sacramento Kings) and Trevor Ariza (Oklahoma City Thunder). 

However, they received a needed boost to their defense in return in the form of Robert Covington, who added 12.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 30.5 minutes across 70 games, split between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Houston Rockets a season ago. 

Portland will also have a full-strength Jusuf Nurkic at its disposal, along with the high-flying Derrick Jones Jr.—who joined the Blazers from the Miami Heat on a two-year deal. 

Nurkic looked back to his best through the eight games he appeared in for Portland after his return from injury that was originally scheduled for March but was pushed back months as the league moved to Orlando for a restart.

When the Bosnian finally hit the court, he managed 31.6 minutes, 17.6 points, 2.0 blocks and 1.4 steals, all career bests, while his 10.3 rebounds were just 0.1 shy of the career high he set last season. 

With much of their veteran leadership ready to go after a solid offseason, the Blazers will continue their success in a tough Northwest Division while showing glimpses of the skill that sent them into their deeper postseason runs. 

Record Prediction: 38-34

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