Trail Blazers vs Hawks Odds
No team in the NBA needs a win as badly as the Portland Trail Blazers. Having lost eight of itheir last 11 games, the Blazers enter this matchup with the Atlanta Hawks as the fifth seed out West. [ad-4468020]
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Portland (45-27) vs Atlanta (31-39)
Thursday, March 27 7:30 PM ET @ Phillips Arena
Spread: Atlanta -4.5
Over/Under: 207.5
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The team is in danger of slipping out of the playoffs with only two games separating it from the ninth seed, and the time is now to win a winnable game with tougher contests ahead.
Atlanta
Once upon a time, the Atlanta Hawks were the consensus third-best team out East.
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The chance of them taking a top-two seed were unlikely with the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers paving a path to the Eastern Conference championship, but Atlanta was playing well enough to give it a chance against anyone else in a seven-game series.
Unfortunately for the Hawks, the loss of Al Horford took away all that momentum, and now the team is fighting for the final spot in the postseason; albeit with a solid lead over the ninth-place New York Knicks.
In this matchup, the Hawks need to focus on defending the three-point shot. Portland, despite starting the year as the No. 1 long-distance team, has gone ice cold and has lost three straight as a result.
Covering Damian Lillard and Wesley Matthews will be crucial for the Hawks, but stopping guys like Dorell Wright and Nicolas Batum are just as important.
Offensively, Atlanta will get a chance to produce. The team is 13th in the league in scoring at this juncture, but it’s going up against a Portland squad that is giving up the most points per game on the road this season.
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Portland
The Trail Blazers must—emphasis on the word “must”—put out a better effort than they have as of late if they hope to win this contest. The team that started 24-5 has not only struggled to produce as of late, but it is showing lackadaisical effort in the process.
An improvement on defense will be necessary, but this team has lost its identity as a potent offensive unit, making shooting just as important.
The variable here is whether or not three-time All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge is back in the lineup.
He’s missed significant time as of late, and his presence will allow Portland’s outside shooters open looks, as the 6’11” forward commands double teams anywhere between the block and the three-point line.
If Portland comes out and lays an egg the way it has as of late, this game will be Atlanta’s to lose at home. The hawks understand that their playoff fate is up in the air, and every game is important moving forward.
That said, the Blazers are in the same boat—with more talent—and this could be the game that gets them back on track, especially if Aldridge is on the floor.
Prediction: Portland 108 – Atlanta 95
