The Portland Trail Blazers will face the New York Knicks on January 9 at Madison Square Garden. This is going to be the first time that both teams will face each other in the 2023–24 season. In their last six meetings, the Blazers and Knicks split wins 3-3. Portland has a 10-25 record in 35 games in their first season playing without Damian Lillard. The team managed to break their three-game losing streak by defeating the Brooklyn Nets 134–127 in overtime. On the other hand, the New York Knicks are in eighth place in the NBA Eastern Conference standings with their 21-15 record. The team will be hoping to extend its four-match winning streak in the upcoming match.
Preview
The New York Knicks’ Mitchell Robinson is out for the season due to his ankle injury. While Matisse Thybulle and Jabari Walker have been marked as “questionable” for the upcoming game. DeAndre Ayton, Moses Brown and Robert Williams III are also out but there is no timeline for their return to the roster.
Starting lineups for both teams
With DeAndre out, Duop Reath will start as center, Jerami Grant and Toumani Camara will join him in the frontcourt. Anfernee Simmons and rookie Scoot Henderson will be the starting backcourt combination for the Trail Blazers. For the Knicks, Ian Hartenstein has secured the center spot, with Robinson out for the season. OG Anunoby and Julius Randle will be the small forwards, while Jalen Brunson will Donte DiVincenzo at the backcourt with him.
Betting tips
Scoot Henderson has missed the 12.5-point NBA prop twice in his last three games. While Julius Randle has been consistently performing well and has a high NBA prop average of 29.5 points. He has surpassed that mark three times in the last four games with the Trail Blazers’ weak frontcourt, he should surpass that mark again.
Also Read: Grizzlies vs Mavericks: Preview & Prediction (Jan 9, 2024)
Prediction
Both teams are expected to score many points, just like in their last three games. The New York Knicks are favorites to win this matchup, but the Portland Trail Blazers will take the game close. The spread of 12.5 points for the game will not be covered.
