NBA Betting Odds – Portland Trail Blazers vs. Atlanta Hawks

Portland (+3½) at Atlanta (-3½)
(O/U) 187
Tonight at 7:00 PM ET

The Atlanta Hawks (8-2 SU, 9-1 ATS, 7-3 O/U) and Portland Trail Blazers (8-3 SU, 8-3 ATS, 3-8 O/U) have shot up the charts over the last week to occupy the second and third spots on my weekly NBA Power Rankings.

Now, the streaking ballclubs will hit the court tonight at Philips Arena at 7 PM ET in a matchup that could turn out to be the Game of the Week.

The 411 on Portland

Thanks to the insertion of veteran point guard Andre Miller and a three-guard lineup that also boasts point guard Steve Blake and shooting guard Brandon Roy, the Blazers have won six straight games coming into this East versus West showdown.

Not only have the Blazers won six straight games, but more importantly, they’ve cashed in for BetUS NBA pro basketball sports betting members in each contest as they’ve gone to a more up-tempo style of play that has allowed the team to score easier baskets in transition.

Portland’s defense (87.1 ppg) has also been a thing of beauty to watch as they held their opponents to less than 90 points in five of their six victories.

The 411 on Atlanta

The Hawks have also caught fire, winning four straight and six of seven to move into first place by one game over the Miami Heat in the Southeast Division. Atlanta has been absolutely beastly at home this year, winning their first four at Philips Arena by an average of 17.5 points per contest. Atlanta has used its potent, third-ranked offense (108.0 ppg) to blow their opponents away and are now a much deeper team than they’ve been in past years.

Key Trends

Trail Blazers are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 road games.
Hawks are 9-1-1 ATS in their last 11 games overall.
Trail Blazers are 5-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings in Atlanta.
Over is 8-3 in the last 11 meetings.
Underdog is 8-2 ATS in the last 10 meetings.
Road team is 10-2 ATS in the last 12 meetings.

Analysis: I’ll keep this pick simple by using the Nov. 3rd meeting between these teams as the benchmark for tonight’s matchup. The Hawks beat the Blazers in Portland that day 97-91 to cover the spread and cash in for NBA gamblers as 7-point road underdogs.

I think tonight’s contest is going to be even closer and like the Blazers to cover the small 3.5-poit spread as road underdogs tonight.

Both teams have nearly identical eight-point margins of victory, but I love Portland’s defense and the blossoming low-post play of center Greg Oden, the No. 1overall draft pick in the 2006 NBA Draft.

The Blazers have gone a perfect 5-0 ATS in their last five road games and 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings in Atlanta.

The Atlanta Hawks have gone a scorching 9-1-1 ATS in their last 11 games overall, but I’m rolling with the Blazers tonight and like the fact that the underdog has gone a red-hot 8-2 ATS in the last 10 meetings between these teams and that the road team in this rivalry has gone an even more impressive 10-2 ATS in the last 12 meetings.

Play the Blazers to cover the NBA point spread in a ‘Game of the Week’ type of ballgame.

NBA Free Picks: Blazers +3½ Points