Game Time: 5:00 PM ET, Saturday, February 12th, 2022 

Venue:  Moda Center in the Rose quarter, Portland Oregon

Where to Watch:  NBA League Pass

Opening NBA Odds at USA Sportsbooks

DraftKings:  Spread:  Knicks -4.5; O/U 218.5

BetMGM:  Spread:  NL

VegasInsider:  Spread:  Knicks -4.5; O/U 218.5

WynnBet: Spread:  Knicks -5; O/U 218.5

Knicks: 25-31, 12th place Eastern Conference

Trail Blazers: 22-34, 11th place Western Conference

A non-conference matchup of bad teams.  As simply as it can be put… these are bad teams.  When bettors look for great betting opportunities… Sometimes two bad teams can be where the easy money is hiding.  The point spread can devastate you if #1 is playing #2 and it comes down to a final shot.  In instances like that gamblers often find themselves holding a ticket with multiple ways to lose… their bet on the #1 team could simply lose outright or ATS… while the team you bet on still played a great game.  It’s tough to really know that the Phoenix Suns will not only beat the Milwaukee Bucks, but will destroy them practically by 7-8X  the already generous point spread.  Yet when bad teams play each other… you can do the numbers and see that the Knicks have a low shooting percentage… or that the Trail Blazers simply don’t look anything like the Trail Blazers even to their own fans.  The Trail Blazers will play lineups that have never played together ever AND are still learning each other’s names. The defensive numbers will plummet.  The point spread will be small because Vegas doesn’t have faith in either team, but one team will assuredly blow out  the other.  Let’s look at those numbers.

The New York Knicks just beat the Golden State Warriors!  That is not a misprint; the Knicks reeled off a GIANT win against the second best team in the league 116-114.  Julius Randle played like the all-star he portrayed last season with 28 points, 16 rebounds, and 7 assists…. But before you go thinking everything is going great in the big apple.  They have only won 3 of their last ten games.  They are only 4-6 ATS.  They have logged 7 Overs, 3 Unders during the last ten games mostly because defensively they have stumbled mightily…. Odd since coach Tom Thibodeu is a defensive guru first and foremost… at least he certainly has never improved anyone’s offense.  The trade deadline came and went with lots of people expecting a BIG move… it wasn’t made.  My sources say the best deal on the table would have signaled a full rebuild yet again.  Something no one in New York is willing to even consider.  They have a strong mix of players… just a bad set of results… so far.  In fact this roster would be a contender if PF Obi Toppin, PG Immanuel Quickley, and SF Cam Reddish (new to the team) would simply make those 2nd and 3rd year jumps everyone is waiting for.  If the bench improved organically the front office would have many many more options at the next trade deadline.

The Portland Trail Blazers just did the impossible.  They gutted their team and picked up an assortment of NBA nobodies…. And without PG Damian Lilliard or new PG Eric Bledsoe… and without SG CJ McCollum who was traded away, and without SF Norman Powell who was traded away, and without PF Robert Covington who was traded away… well you get it.  Essentially without any player of any note outside of PG Anfernee Simons… This crew of Bad News Bears beat the Los Angeles Lakers 107-105.  The absolute straw that broke the camel’s back for the Laker and Russell Westbrook relationship came at the hands of longtime rival and victim PORTLAND.  There are longtime Laker fans that are already talking about how they can’t wait until the team trades Anthony Davis and LeBron decides to move on or retire so they can build a team that actually looks and plays like a Laker team.  The Trail Blazers aren’t winners however.  That Laker win only gives the Blazers 2 wins over their last ten games. And only 3-7 ATS over the last ten games.  And they have a sprint to the bottom ahead of them if the team could have it’s way (and with these trades they did).

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The Knicks are 25-31 on the season, but 26-30 ATS.  They have logged 26 Overs and 30 Unders.  They are 12-16 in road games.

The Trail Blazers are 22-34 on the season, but 22-33-1 ATS.  They have notched 26 Overs, 29 Unders, and 1 Push.  They are 15-16 in home games.

The New York Knicks are 27th in scoring with 104.8 ppg, 5th in rebounds with 46 per game, 26th in AST/TO ratio with 1.6.  They are shooting 27th in FG%, 13th in 3PT%, and 25th in FT%.  They rank 8th on defense which seems GREAT, but the losses are because of the continual defensive failures in the 4th quarter. So the defense holds up until the game is on the line… and then it magically disappears.

The Portland Trail Blazers are 21st in scoring with 107.6 ppg, 24th in rebounds with 43.8 per game, and 23rd in AST/TO ratio with 1.6. They are 23rd in FG%, 14th in 3PT%, and 21st in 3PT%... but these numbers are a quagmire since they traded their best shooter, their second best shooter on the injured list and they traded their 3rd best and 4th best shooter.  The new roster will establish a whole new set of numbers.  You have to judge this team by a series of personal shooting and defensive numbers since none of it applies anymore.

Our prediction for Saturday, February 12th is….  Knicks 120 - Blazers 102

The Blazers will come back to earth after the win against the Lakers.  They really have nothing on the roster that would scream “Ready to win NOW!”.  The are drifting until the draft lottery when they will trade Damian Lilliard once they know for sure who is drafting where and what picks they could pick up in a 3-team deal for their all-star, all-NBA player.  (who isn’t playing).

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The Knicks are 41-20 ATS in the second half of the season the last 3 seasons.

The Knicks are 3-1 ATS versus Portland the last 3 seasons.

3 of 4 games in this series have gone Under the last 3 seasons.

Portland is 7 Over and 1 Under when playing with 2 days rest this season.

Knicks: RJ Barrett (ankle) Quest ** C Nerlens Noel (knee) Quest ** PG Derrick Rose (ankle) Out

Blazers: PG Eric Bledsoe (achille) Quest ** PG Damian Lilliard (abdominal) Out ** SF Nassir Little (shoulder) Out for season 

Knicks: SF Quentin Grimes, PF Julius Randle, C Mitchell Robinson, PG Kemba Walker, SG Evan Fournier

Blazers: PF CJ Ellerby, SF Justise Winslow, C Jusuf Nurkic, PG Anfernee Simons, SG Ben McLemore

Knicks

Points Julius Randle 19.3

Assists: Julius Randle 5.1

Rebounds: Julius Randle 10.1

Steals: Nerlens Noel 1.2

Blocks: Mitchell Robinson 1.6

Trail Blazers

Points: Damian Lilliard 24

Assists: Damian Lilliard 7.3

Rebounds: Jusuf Nurkic 10.8

Steals: Justice Winslow 2.0

Blocks: Robert Covington 1.3

Knicks: Tom Thibodeu

Blazers: Chauncey Billups