The Portland Trail Blazers continue their road trip this Wednesday when they arrive in Gotham for a showdown versus the streaking New York Knicks. Will the Blazers subvert expectations and upset New York? Or, will the Knicks add another win to their undefeated run?

Catch this game live on Wednesday, January 10, 2024 at 8:30 AM, Manila time

Away: Portland Trail Blazers (10-25/5-14 Away)

Projected Starting Five:

  • Scoot Henderson
  • Anfernee Simons
  • Toumani Camara
  • Jerami Grant
  • Deandre Ayton (Doubtful)

Not much is expected of the Blazers this season, and it shows in their horrible 10-25 record. However, they are feeling good at the moment after ending a three-game winless streak with a 134-127 overtime victory on the road over the Brooklyn Nets last Monday. Anfernee Simons, who is among the few bright spots on the Blazers, led Portland versus the Nets with 38 points on 13/25 shooting from the field with five 3-pointers. 

Meanwhile, Malcolm Brogdon and Shaedon Sharpe combined for all of the Blazers’ 39 points off the bench. The Knicks are going to be tough customers for Portland, but the Blazers could find a way to at least cover the spread. They are 10-9 ATS in road games this season and hover just below .500 in spread coverage as an underdog (15-16). On the season, the Blazers are averaging 109.0 points and are third in the league with 8.3 steals per game.

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Home: New York Knicks (21-15/10-4 Home)

Projected Starting Five:

  • Jalen Brunson
  • Donte DiVincenzo
  • OG Anunoby
  • Julius Randle
  • Isaiah Hartenstein

The Knicks should feel good about their chances of not just beating the Blazers but blowing them out of the water. New York is coming into this contest on a four-game win streak, fueled by the arrival of shiny new weapon OG Anunoby via a trade with the Toronto Raptors. 

In four games with New York, Anunoby has averaged 12.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.5 steals. He provided a little bit of everything in the Knicks’ 121-105 win in DC over the Washington Wizards on Sunday and he could further shine against a lightweight opponent this Wednesday. Don’t be surprised if multiple Knicks players end up with huge performances against the Blazers, who just don’t have the depth yet to keep up with upper-tier teams like New York. Moreover, the Knicks have lost just once so far this season against a sub-.500 team.

PREDICTIONS:

Spread: The Knicks (-11.5) cover the spread.

Over/Under: The Under (226.5) hits.

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