Trailblazers vs Hawks Free NBA Prediction
The Atlanta Hawks have been conducting business as usual despite losing Al Horford to a season-ending pectoral injury, and will go for their fourth straight win without him when they host the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday.
Date/Time: 8:00 PM ET, Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Venue: Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia
Broadcast: ESPN
Spread: Atlanta -1.5
Over/Under: 184.5
Portland’s leading scorer, forward LaMarcus Aldridge, scored 16 of his 22 points in the second half as Portland shot 54 percent from the field and took control of the game breaking a three-game losing streak with an 84-77 win in New Orleans on Monday.
The team’s meeting with Atlanta will be the fourth stop off a six-game road trip that lasts 11 days, where the Blazers were blown out by 16 points in the first game of the trip by San Antonio before losing by two points the following night in Houston in overtime.
With games in Toronto and Detroit later in the week, Portland (8-5) can finish the trip with a winning record if it beats Atlanta.
Totally conceivable since Portland will be the best team the Hawks have faced since their star center went down.
Nevertheless, Atlanta (10-4) have been on a tear at home though, with its only loss in seven games at Philips Arena coming to the Miami Heat in triple overtime on Jan. 5. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Their recent success being Monday’s 93-84 win over Toronto.
Josh Smith scored 28 points and had 15 rebounds, a season high, while Joe Johnson added 27 points, as the Hawks started strong and never trailed in the game.
One downside for Portland will be that they will be without center Marcus Camby who has missed the last two games with a sprained ankle and is listed as day-to-day.
Atlanta has won five straight in the series with Portland’s last victory coming back on Feb. 20, 2009 but that was at the Rose Garden. The Trail Blazers haven’t beaten the Hawks in Atlanta since Jan. 21, 2008.
Free Pick: Hawks 103, Trail Blazers 101
