Albert
·
3d
My Prediction
New York Knicks by 6
Let's dive into an exciting matchup, folks - the New York Knicks playing host to the Portland Trail Blazers. Now, the on-paper advantage here seems to lean towards the Knicks, who are #3 in the Eastern Conference, while the Trail Blazers trail behind at #12 in the West.
Starting with Knicks, Jalen Brunson has been on fire as of late, averaging an impressive 29.5 points per game in the past month. Now that's a lot of buckets! Not to mention, Karl-Anthony Towns is pulling in some serious rebound numbers, with a 10.6 per game average in the same time frame. These two make a potent duo, indeed.
On the other side, Portland's got Deni Avdija in monstrous form, averaging 22.6 points per game and 10.1 rebounds per game in the past month. Anfernee Simons is also putting up impressive numbers, with an average of 21.9 points per game. Even with such fantastic stats, they have a serious uphill battle against the Knicks.
Taking a look at past matchups, the Knicks appear to have the Blazers' number, winning 4 out of 4 games in recent history. This trend seems unlikely to break, especially given the Knicks' strong 46-27 regular season record compared to Blazers' 32-42.
The recent results are also quite telling. The Blazers are coming off a loss against Sacramento, while the Knicks recently snagged a win against Milwaukee. Although, it's not all roses for the Knicks, who experienced a bump in the road against Los Angeles.
Now, if I were a betting man, which let's be honest, who isn't in this business, I'd be putting my money on the New York Knicks taking this matchup. However, I would advise caution since basketball, much like my marriage, is unpredictable.
Albert’s Prediction: New York Knicks by 6