NBA Odds: Portland Trail Blazers, even giving 9 points, good choice at home against Knicks
By Phil Watson
![NBA Portland Trail Blazers Damian Lillard. Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Cameron Browne/NBAE via Getty Images) NBA Portland Trail Blazers Damian Lillard. Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Cameron Browne/NBAE via Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/bf340a020407e51dd532f5b9376d4be1889dbb60120e4717ceda2fbdd63b85a8.jpg)
Tuesday is a light night on the NBA schedule, but taking the Portland Trail Blazers at home against the woeful New York Knicks could be the call.
With only four games on Tuesday’s NBA slate, finding a matchup upon which to zero in is a little tougher … until you see the New York Knicks beginning a West Coast trip.
New York has been a sneaky cover over its last 10 games, going 5-5 against the spread, but the Portland Trail Blazers are still a solid play on Tuesday night, even if it means laying nine points. The Knicks are in disarray. Interim coach Mike Miller had the team playing better in his debut against the Indiana Pacers Saturday, but New York is an NBA-worst 4-19 on the season.
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They’ve also lost their last nine games overall, while Portland will be looking to turn it around after back-to-back losses at home to the Lakers and Thunder. The Trail Blazers play their next two on the road at Denver and Phoenix, so getting a win is important, even as banged up as Portland is.
The Blazers are 4-6 ATS over their last 10 games, while the Knicks are 2-4 ATS over their last six. Portland has won the last five in a row against New York overall and hasn’t lost at home to the Knicks since Dec. 12, 2015.
The X-factor in this game might just be former Knick superstar Carmelo Anthony, who was rescued off the NBA scrap heap by the Trail Blazers last month and has already won a Western Conference Player of the Week honor. But in the aforementioned losses to the Lakers and Oklahoma City, Anthony was a combined 8-for-31 and 2-for-8 from deep.
Playing against a bad New York team at home might be the tonic for Melo to snap out of his slump.
New York Knicks at Portland Trail Blazers (minus 9)
TV: MSG Network, NBC Sports Northwest
Tickets: Moda Center, 10 p.m. Eastern (7 p.m. local)
Records: New York 4-19 (11-12 ATS, 5-5 road ATS), Portland 9-15 (10-14 ATS, 3-7 home ATS)
Availability report (as of 8:30 p.m. Eastern on Monday)
New York: OUT–Kadeem Allen (two-way, G League), Reggie Bullock (cervical disc herniation), Wayne Ellington (sore left Achilles), Ivan Rabb (two-way, G League).
Portland: OUT–Zach Collins (left shoulder dislocation), Rodney Hood (left Achilles tendon rupture, Jusuf Nurkic (left leg fracture).
Here’s what else is on tap around the NBA on Tuesday:
Washington Wizards (minus 1½) at Charlotte Hornets
TV: NBC Sports Washington, Fox Sports Southeast-Charlotte
Tickets: Spectrum Center, 7 p.m. Eastern
Records: Washington 7-15 (12-9-1 ATS, 7-4-1 road ATS), Charlotte 9-16 (11-13-1 ATS, 6-7 home ATS)
Availability report (as of 8:30 p.m. Eastern on Monday)
Washington: OUT–Thomas Bryant (stress reaction, right foot), Garrison Mathews (two-way, G League), Jordan McRae (right ring finger surgery), C.J. Miles (left wrist surgery), Isaiah Thomas (left calf strain), John Wall (left Achilles rehab).
Charlotte: OUT–Robert Franks (two-way, G League), Kobi Simmons (two-way, G League); DOUBTFUL–Marvin Williams (right knee soreness); PROBABLE–PJ Washington (right ankle sprain).
Notable: It’s not often a team that has lost five of six and seven of nine is a road favorite in the NBA, but that’s the position the Washington Wizards are in Tuesday. Washington is 3-6 ATS over its last nine games. But the Charlotte Hornets have dropped four of their last five, going 1-4 ATS in the process.
The Wizards won 125-118 and covered as six-point favorites when the teams met in D.C. on Nov. 22. The Hornets are 6-4 against the Wizards over the last 10 meetings, with the teams an even 5-5 ATS over that stretch. Charlotte got worked over at home by Atlanta on Sunday, losing to the lowly Hawks by 15 in their own gym.
Denver Nuggets at Philadelphia 76ers (minus 4)
TV: Altitude Sports, TNT
Tickets: Wells Fargo Center, 8 p.m. Eastern
Records: Denver 14-7 (9-11-1 ATS, 4-5-1 road ATS), Philadelphia 17-7 (12-12 ATS, 7-5 home ATS)
Availability report (as of 8:30 p.m. Eastern on Monday)
Denver: OUT–Bol Bol (two-way, G League), PJ Dozier (two-way, G League), Jarred Vanderbilt (G League).
Philadelphia: OUT–Jonah Bolden (right Achilles soreness), Norvel Pelle (two-way, G League), Marial Shayok (two-way, G League), Zhaire Smith (right lower leg laceration); QUESTIONABLE–Josh Richardson (right hamstring tightness).
Notable: The Denver Nuggets have hit a rough patch of late, losing four of their last five games after a 13-3 start to the season. Denver is 1-4 ATS over its last five games and have only covered once in their last six meetings with the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers are rolling, winning six of their last seven overall and are 5-2 ATS at in their last seven home games.
The Nuggets will be seeking a season sweep on Tuesday after beating Philadelphia at home on Nov. 8, winning 100-97 with the 76ers covering as five-point road underdogs. The Sixers are unbeaten at home this season — winning their first 12 games at Wells Fargo Center — and are 7-5 ATS in those home games.
Atlanta Hawks at Miami Heat (minus 9)
TV: Fox Sports Southeast-Atlanta, Fox Sports Sun
Tickets: American Airlines Arena, 8 p.m. Eastern
Records: Atlanta 6-17 (11-12 ATS, 5-7 road ATS), Miami 17-6 (14-8-1 ATS, 8-2 home ATS)
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Availability report (as of 8:30 p.m. Eastern on Monday)
Atlanta: OUT–Charlie Brown (two-way, G League), John Collins (league suspension), Brandon Goodwin (two-way, G League); PROBABLE–Alex Len (flu-like symptoms).
Miami: OUT–Goran Dragic (right groin strain), Daryl Macon (two-way, G League), Justise Winslow (lower back strain); QUESTIONABLE–Bam Adebayo (right groun contusion), KZ Okpala (left Achilles strain), Dion Waiters (sick).
Notable: Following a 10-game losing streak, the Atlanta Hawks have won two of their last three games, including Sunday’s 15-point win at Charlotte, which was Atlanta’s first road win since Nov. 12 at Denver and ended a seven-game skid away from home. The Miami Heat are 10-0 at home this season, but have covered just once in their last five games. The Hawks are 4-2 ATS of late.
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These teams have already met twice this season, with the Heat winning both ends of the home-and-home on Oct. 29 and 31. Miami covered the 8½-point spread with a 112-97 win at home on Oct. 29 and took care of business as a 6½-point road favorite in a 106-97 win at Atlanta on Halloween night. The Hawks are 6-3-1 ATS in their last 10 games against the Heat.