Atlanta has been the superior team this season and is hoping to get home court advantage in the East when the regular season wraps up. The Trail Blazers are simply attempting to make the postseason in the West, currently sitting a half-game outside of the eighth seed.
Portland gets this game at home, where it has played well this season, and this is shaping up to be a competitive showdown.
Don't miss the hardwood action from the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon at 10:30 p.m. ET on Monday, February 13, 2017. Catch every moment of the game live on TNT.
We'll have NBA odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NBA Monday schedule.
Odds at BookMaker.eu
The Hawks are 31-22 straight up and 27-26 against the spread. Atlanta has played in 26 road games and has done well, covering in 14 of them. The Hawks are 18-21 against the spread as the favorite this season and have covered in nine of 14 games as the underdog.
Portland is 23-30 straight up and 22-31 against the spread. The Trail Blazers have played in 25 home games and have covered in 12 of those. Portland is 13-15 against the spread as the favorite but only 9-15 against the spread as the underdog.
Player to Watch
Damian Lillard -- The Trail Blazers’ point guard is having a career season and shows no signs of slowing down. In his fifth year in the league, the 26-year-old is leading the team with 26 points per game and 5.8 assists.
He finished with 28 points, seven assists and six rebounds against the Celtics on Thursday and also had 29 points in recent games against the Mavericks and the Thunder. Lillard has scored 40 or more points in three games this season including a season-high 42 points against Dallas back in November.
This is the first time these two teams will face each other this year. Lillard had 18 points and six assists the most recent time he played Atlanta back in January of 2016.
Matchup to Watch
Dwight Howard vs. Mason Plumlee. Howard is having a very strong season in first year with the Hawks and it will be interesting to see how the two big men matchup in this one. Howard is averaging 12.9 rebounds a game for Atlanta while Plumlee is pulling down eight rebounds a game for Portland.
Against his former team in Houston on February 2nd, Howard finished with 24 points and 23 rebounds. He has taken a lot of flak through the years for not being a superstar big man, but he is still a good player.
The Blazers have a star backcourt in Lillard and C.J. McCollum, but if Howard can control the matchup with Plumlee it could give the Hawks a good chance at winning this road matchup.
Free NBA ATS Picks
While the Hawks have been better this season, the location of the game really evens out the odds. Atlanta is in the midst of a West Coast road trip and is far away from home, which is tough this time of year. They may have more talent, but Portland’s familiarity with its surroundings should make this one a toss-up.
The Blazers hoped to be better this season but have floundered near the eighth spot in the West for much of the year. This is a big-time chance to improve their odds of making the postseason as they attempt to catch the Denver Nuggets.
Take the Blazers to come away with the win at home behind a big game from Lillard.
NBA Odds: Blazers 107, Hawks 104
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