The Portland Trail Blazers host the New York Knicks in a cross-conference game on Saturday. The Blazers and Knicks face off in a matinee battle, with New York losing seven of the last nine games. The Knicks are 25-31 for the season, and the Blazers are 22-34 after dropping six of the last seven contests. Damian Lillard (core), Nassir Little (shoulder), Keon Johnson (ankle), and Eric Bledsoe (Achilles) are out for Portland. RJ Barrett (ankle) and Derrick Rose (ankle) are out for New York, with Nerlens Noel (foot) listed as questionable.
New York is listed as a five-point road favorite by Caesars Sportsbook for this 5 p.m. ET tipoff. The total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, or the over-under, is 217.5 in the latest Knicks vs. Blazers odds. Before making any Blazers vs. Knicks picks, be sure to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit on its top-rated NBA picks over the past three-plus seasons. The model enters Week 17 of the 2021-22 NBA season on a stunning 65-36 roll on all top-rated NBA picks, returning almost $2,400. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Knicks vs. Trail Blazers, and just locked in its picks and NBA predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are several NBA betting lines and trends for Trail Blazers vs. Knicks:
- Knicks vs. Blazers spread: Knicks -5
- Knicks vs. Blazers over-under: 217.5 points
- Knicks vs. Blazers money line: Knicks -200, Blazers +170
- NYK: The Knicks are 13-15 against the spread in road games
- POR: The Trail Blazers are 14-17 against the spread in home games
Featured Game | Portland Trail Blazers vs. New York Knicks
Why the Knicks can cover
New York has notable strengths as a team, but the Knicks should also benefit from Portland’s issues. The Blazers are No. 28 in the NBA in defensive rating this season, allowing 1.14 points per possession. Portland is also No. 29 in the league in field-goal percentage allowed, No. 29 in 3-point percentage allowed and No. 30 in assists allowed. On the opposite end, Portland is No. 29 in the NBA in points in the paint, with bottom-10 rankings in field-goal percentage, 2-point percentage and assists per game.
New York is elite at getting to the free-throw line, creating 22.4 attempts per game, and the Knicks are above-average in ball security. The Knicks make waves on the offensive glass, ranking No. 6 in offensive rebound rate and No. 4 in second-chance points per game, and New York is also in the top 10 of the NBA in 3-pointers per game. The matchup is more difficult for the Knicks on defense, but New York is No. 3 in the NBA in points allowed in the paint, No. 6 in field-goal percentage allowed, and firmly in the top 10 in 2-point percentage allowed and second-chance points allowed this season.
Why the Blazers can cover
Portland is proficient in multiple categories on offense, headlined by 3-point shooting. The Blazers are making 13.4 3-pointers per game, No. 7 in the NBA, and that puts pressure on the opposition. Portland is above-average in both free-throw creation (21.5 attempts per game) and ball security (fewer than 14 turnovers per game), and New York is in the bottom 10 of the NBA in turnover creation and 3-pointers allowed on defense.
Defensively, Portland should benefit from the hiccups of New York, and the Blazers are elite on the defensive glass. The Blazers are grabbing more than 74 percent of available defensive rebounds, No. 3 in the NBA, and they are No. 2 in the league in second-chance points allowed (11.7 per game). New York is No. 24 in the NBA in offensive rating, and the Knicks are last in the league in points in the paint. The Knicks are also No. 25 or worse in the NBA in field-goal percentage, 2-point percentage, free-throw percentage and assists per game.
How to make Knicks vs. Blazers picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning under on the total, projecting 208 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits well over 60 percent of the time. You can only see the model’s pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Blazers vs. Knicks? And which side of the spread hits well over 60 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks, and find out.