This matchup on Saturday night should be very close as the Hawks have had a lot of success against the Blazers recently. Winning in Portland is never easy but the Blazers are not the same team without Aldridge.
Atlanta 19-11 SU, 15-14-1 ATS, 9-6-1 ATS on the Road
The Hawks are playing the third game of a five-game road trip on Saturday night. The Hawks have actually been better against the spread on the road than at home. The team is solid on defense as they are 7th in the league while they are average on offense at 15th in the league. The Hawks rely upon Joe Johnson and when he scores 20 points or more the Hawks are 12-1 this season.
Portland beat Golden State without Aldridge in the lineup so they are capable of winning even without their best player. Portland has been very good at home this season as they have one of the top pointspread marks in the league.
Series Notes
The Hawks beat the Blazers 92-89 in Atlanta last month as Joe Johnson scored 24 points while Josh Smith had a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Jamal Crawford led the Blazers with 22 points. The win was Atlanta’s sixth straight against Portland. The Hawks lead the all-time series 50-49. Four of the last five meetings have gone under the online NBA odds including the last two in Portland.
NBA Picks
It is really tough to pick a side with Aldridge likely to miss this game so we’ll go with the total and take the under. The Blazers will have to win with defense and Atlanta is known for defense as well as they are 7th in the league in fewest points allowed.
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