Portland Trail Blazers vs. New York Knicks: NBA Betting Odds and Predictions

Portland Trail Blazers at New York Knicks
Tuesday, 1/1/13, 7:30 PM EST, TV: MSG
Opening Point Spread: N/A
Current Betting Line: N/A
Opening Total: N/A
Current Total: N/A
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker

The New York Knicks are 3-3 without Carmelo Anthony in the lineup this year

Portland has alternated wins and losses over its last five games, as it comes off an 89-85 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers as three-point home favorites, while going UNDER the total in consecutive contests. “We have confidence going into this one,” stated Trail Blazers rookie point guard Damian Lillard. He leads all NBA rookies in averaging 18.3 points and dishing out 6.3 assists per game. Portland is 4-10 ATS on the road this year, which can’t be ignored when making your NBA picks against the spread on New Year’s Day.

The Trail Blazers didn’t fare too well against the Knicks in their only series meeting a year ago, dropping a 121-79 decision as six-point road underdogs. Portland has won four of its last six games versus New York at Madison Square Garden, which is important to consider when looking over the pro basketball odds page. The team’s success is built around a starting unit that leads the league in averaging 79.3 points per game as a group.

New York has also been very inconsistent in splitting its last eight games, but the franchise could have two of their star players back on the floor to open up a new calendar year. The Knicks have played their last two games without the services of leading scorer Carmelo Anthony, while Amar’e Stoudemire may see his first action of the season. The team won its first 10 home games, but has since split its last four played in the Big Apple. New York is 8-2 ATS when playing with three or more days rest over the last two-plus seasons, with the OVER going 5-4-1 in that situation.

The Knicks have compiled a solid 16-6 record when playing on this particular holiday, including a 13-2 mark at home. Anthony is desperately needed on the offensive end, considering he’s second in the NBA in averaging 28.5 points per game, while ranking 13th among all players in shooting 43.4 percent from beyond the arc.