Knicks vs. Blazers NBA expert prediction and odds for Thursday, March 14 (How to bet total)

The New York Knicks welcomed OG Anunoby back into the lineup on Tuesday night, and the team promptly blew out of the Philadelphia 76ers. 

The OG Effect is real, with the Knicks going 13-2 when he plays this season heading into Thursday night’s clash against the Portland Trail Blazers. 

Portland is playing the second night of a back-to-back after facing the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday. The team pulled off an upset in that game, winning 106-102 to pick up its 19th win of the season. 

With the Knicks favored on the road, a spot they have thrived in this season, how should we bet on this matchup?

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First, let’s break down the odds, key players and injury reports for this matchup: 

Knicks vs. Blazers odds, spread and total 

Knicks vs. Blazers how to watch

• Date: Thursday, March 14
• Time: 10:00 p.m. EST
• Venue: Moda Center
• How to watch (TV): MSG, Root Sports Northwest
• Knicks record: 38-27
• Blazers record: 19-46

Knicks vs. Blazers injury reports

Knicks injury report

• Charlie Brown Jr. – out
• Julius Randle – out
• Mitchell Robinson – out
• Jacob Toppin – out
• Duane Washington Jr. – out

Blazers injury report

• Not submitted yet

Knicks vs. Blazers key players to watch

New York Knicks

OG Anunoby: I can’t say enough good things about Anunoby, who brings a whole new dynamic to the Knicks lineup when he’s in there. 

He and Josh Hart are plus/minus kings, and Anunoby gives the Knicks another proven offensive option – something the team desperately needs with Julius Randle still out. 

Portland Trail Blazers

Anfernee Simons: The Blazers have been banged up all season, but Simons has been out there more often than not since returning from an early-season thumb injury. The young guard is averaging 23.0 points, 3.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game after dropping 36 points on the Hawks on Wednesday. He’s the driving force of this offense with players like Malcolm Brogdon, Shaedon Sharpe and others banged up. 

Knicks vs. Blazers prediction and pick

Earlier this season, the Knicks absolutely dominated this matchup, winning by 28 points at Madison Square Garden. 

However, the team had Julius Randle in that game, and right now the All-NBA forward is out of the lineup with a dislocated shoulder. So, the Knicks may not have the offensive firepower they’d like in this matchup. 

There are also competing trends with these teams against the spread records. New York is 9-3 ATS as a road favorite this season, one of the best marks in the NBA, but Portland is an NBA-best 9-2 against the spread on the second night of a back-to-back (cover rate of 81.8 percent). 

So, instead of laying the points with New York, I’m going to shift my focus to the total in this one. 

The Knicks are a bottom five team in the NBA in pace this season, and the team hasn’t exactly scored the ball at a high rate as of late, scoring less than 110 points in seven of its last eight games. 

Meanwhile, the Blazers are likely down several key offensive pieces who also missed last night’s game like Sharpe, Brogdon and potentially even Jerami Grant. That significantly limits the team’s ceiling in this game. 

Portland has failed to clear 110 points in three of its last four games, and the team is 15-13 to the UNDER as a home dog this season. Meanwhile, the UNDER has hit in eight of the Knicks 12 games as road favorites. 

Even with an extremely low total (206), I think the Knicks’ defense with Anunoby makes the UNDER the play on Thursday. 

Pick: UNDER 206 (-112)

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.