The Atlanta Hawks will host the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night at State Farm Arena. Tipoff is set for 7:30PM ET. Atlanta is 36-38 and seventh in the Eastern Conference, while Portland sits at 32-43 and 12th in the West.
These teams met once earlier this season, with Portland winning 114-110 at home on November 17. That win continued the Blazers’ home dominance in the matchup, but Atlanta has won the last five games against Portland at home. Both teams come into this game with recent momentum—Atlanta just dropped 145 points on Milwaukee, while Portland is trying to stay in the play-in race despite injuries.
Hawks Preview – Risacher and Daniels Fuel Late Surge
The Hawks are coming off a strong 145-124 road win against the Bucks. Rookie Zaccharie Risacher had a career-best 36 points and has scored at least 20 in three of his last six games. Dyson Daniels added 22 points, 6 assists, and 5 steals, giving him the single-season steals record for the franchise.
Atlanta ranks 27th in the league in points allowed at 119.4 per game. They have leaned on offense to win games, especially at home where they’ve hit the total over in 14 of their last 19 contests. The Hawks are also averaging 30+ points in each quarter over their last five games, a sign that their scoring is peaking at the right time.
Trae Young remains listed as day-to-day with Achilles soreness but played in the last game and tallied 19 points and 19 assists. Atlanta continues to miss Clint Capela, Larry Nance Jr., and rookie guard Kobe Bufkin, but Onyeka Okongwu has stepped up inside with 13 points and 10 boards in the win over Milwaukee.
Blazers Preview – Avdija Steps Up Amid Injuries
Portland has lost five straight road games and is playing the third game of a five-game road trip. They lost to the Knicks 110-93 on Sunday, but Deni Avdija had another big night with 33 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists. He’s averaging 25.3 points and 10.4 rebounds over his last 10 games.
The Trail Blazers are without Deandre Ayton, Robert Williams, and Scoot Henderson, all dealing with injuries. Anfernee Simons is playing through a forearm issue and had just 1 made three-pointer in his last outing. Portland has relied more on young players like Shaedon Sharpe and Toumani Camara, both logging heavy minutes recently.
Portland is 12-25 on the road and ranks 22nd in the league in scoring. They’ve covered the spread well, going 41-33-1 against the number, and have hit the 3rd quarter spread in 24 of their last 34 games. The offense has been inconsistent but has shown flashes when Avdija gets going early.
Betting Prediction
Atlanta is a -6.5 favorite with the total set at 238.5. The Hawks have been trending toward overs and high-scoring wins, especially at home. They’ve gone over the total in 49 of their last 80 games and are getting efficient play from their backcourt and wings.
Portland is too short-handed to keep up unless Avdija has another huge night. Atlanta’s depth and shooting edge gives them the upper hand, especially with Trae Young still contributing. A final score around 124-112 in favor of Atlanta is a fair expectation.
Pick: Hawks -6.5
Take the Hawks to down the Blazers on Tuesday!
