Knicks vs Trail Blazers prediction, betting odds, and TV channel for March 16

We thought we were onto something. We thought the New York Knicks were on their way to making a historic playoff push after three consecutive wins against some pretty stiff competition.

New York took down a surging Clippers team, a Kings team that is by no means a slouch, and a red-hot Mavericks team in need of wins to move up in the west.

All of that … just to come crashing back down to earth against the Grizzlies and Nets.

The one bright spot for all you sports bettors is that the Knicks covered the spread in both of their losses and came into each of the previous three games as the betting underdog. So, as a season that feels all but lost dwindles down to its end, at least we have the NBA Draft to look forward to (Kanye Shrug).

Or a potential blockbuster trade this summer…

There are exactly 14 games left on the calendar and barely any “gimmes.” In fact, most of the teams the Knicks will be facing are either playoff contenders or those competing for the play-in tournament, so I wouldn’t expect a ton of wins from this point on.

Tonight’s game is against a lowly Portland squad that recently rocked the Knicks’ world a little while back. The Knicks blew a 23-point third-quarter lead to the Blazers with Anfernee Simons leading the charge with 30 points and 8 assists.

But this time around, Portland will be without the bulk of their best players including Eric Bledsoe, the aforementioned Anfernee Simons, Jusuf Nurkic, and a few others are questionable.

The Knicks will again be without the usual suspects…Noel, Reddish, Rose, and Walker with Quentin Grimes being a game-time decision.

New York Knicks vs Portland Trail Blazers betting odds, spread, over/under

As per WynnBet:

Spread:

Knicks: -12 (-110)
Blazers: +12 (-110)

Moneyline:

Knicks: -825
Blazers: +550

Total:

222 (Over -110/Under -110)

New York Knicks vs Portland Trail Blazers Prediction

It always scares me when the Knicks are favored in games, and laying 12 points doesn’t make things any easier. Even though this is a very beatable Portland team when mostly healthy (excluding Damian Lillard), I thought they were very beatable when they wrecked the Knicks back in February, too.

That said, the Knicks have been playing at a much better pace than they had in the first half of the season and have been putting the ball in the cup at a high rate. They’re averaging 106 points per game on the season and over their last five they’ve surpassed that number each time. They even put up 131 points against Sacramento.

Portland, on the other hand, are losers of their last four out of five games and have lost by margins of 9, 38, 43, and 14. Both teams have had a hard time covering spreads this season, but the Blazers have been by far the worse team at doing so.

I think the Knicks pull this one out but only because they want to give Portland a little payback for the embarrassment they caused them a month ago. As badly as I want this to be a blowout, I think this young Portland squad gets excited about being in New York City and makes it a bit too interesting for comfort.

Final Verdict: Portland +12 and Over 222

New York Knicks vs Portland Trail Blazers TV Channel

The game won’t be nationally televised, but those in the New York area can catch the action on MSG Network and those in Portland can tune into Root Sports Northwest.

New York Knicks schedule and upcoming games

After this matchup, the Knicks will play three more home games before hitting the road:

• March 18 vs Wizards
• March 20 vs Jazz
• March 22 vs Hawks
• March 23 at Hornets
• March 25 at Heat