Saturday, March 18, 2017

Philips Arena

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The Portland Blazers head to Philips Arena to take on the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday, March 18, 2017. The opening line for this game has Atlanta as 3 point favorites.

The Blazers come into this game with an overall record of 30-37. They are 4th in the Northwest Division. They currently have a point differential of -2.1 as they are averaging 108.1 points per game while giving up 110.2 per contest. The Hawks have an overall record of 37-31. They currently are 2nd in the Southeast Division. They are averaging 103.7 points per game and surrendering 104.4, good for a point differential of -0.7.

Valuable Portland Blazers Betting Trends

The Portland Blazers are 28-39-0 against the spread

The Portland Blazers are 39-28-0 against the over/under

Important Atlanta Hawks Betting Trends

The Atlanta Hawks are 31-37-0 against the spread

The Atlanta Hawks are 28-39-1 against the over/under

Key Portland Blazers Injuries

10/25/16 C Festus Ezeli Knee out for season
03/01/17 F Ed Davis Shoulder out for season
02/08/17 G Evan Turner Hand out indefinitely

Key Atlanta Hawks Injuries

03/04/17 G Mike Dunleavy Ankle out indefinitely

Player Spotlight

Damian Lillard comes into this game averaging 26.5 points per contest while playing 36 minutes per night so far this year for the Blazers. He pulls down 4.9 rebounds per contest and dishes out 5.8 assists per game as well. His field goal percentage is 44% while his free throw percentage is currently at 90%. C.J. McCollum averages 23.3 points per game in 35.1 minutes per contest this season. He averages 3.5 assists per contest and 3.6 rebounds per game for Portland. His field goal percentage is 48% for the year while his free throw percentage is 90%.

Player Spotlight

Paul Millsap averages 18.1 points per game while playing 34.3 minutes per contest this year for the Hawks. He grabs 7.7 rebounds per game and has 3.8 assists per contest on the year. His field goal percentage is 44% and his free throw percentage currently is at 76%. Dennis Schroder averages 17.8 points per game this season and he sees the court an average of 31 minutes per contest. He also averages 3 rebounds per contest and 6.2 assists per game. His field goal percentage is 46% and his free throw percentage is 85%.

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Useful Team Statistics

Portland averages 108.1 points per contest this season which ranks them 6th in the NBA. Their average scoring margin is -2.12 and their shooting percentage is 46% as a team which has them ranked 13th. Behind the arc they shoot 37% which is good for 10th in the league. They average 43.4 rebounds per game and 21.7 assists per game which ranks them 17th and 20th in those offensive categories. In the turnover department they rank 16th with 14 per game. The Blazers allow 110.2 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 26th in the league. They also allow a 46% shooting percentage and a 38% average from behind the arc ranking them 15th and 29th in those defensive categories. Opponents average 44.4 rebounds a game which ranks 21st and they give up 20.9 assists per contest which puts them in 5th place in the league. They force 12.9 turnovers per game which ranks them 8th in the league.

Useful Team Statistics

Atlanta averages 103.7 points per game this year which ranks them 20th in the league. Their average scoring margin is -0.71 and their shooting percentage is 46% as a team which has them sitting in the 15th spot in the league. Behind the arc they shoot 34% which is good for 25th in the NBA. They average 44 rebounds per game and 23.6 assists per contest which ranks them 10th and 8th respectively. In the turnover department the Hawks rank 3rd with 15.6 per game. The Hawks allow 104.4 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 10th in the league. They also allow a 45% shooting percentage and a 36% average from behind the arc ranking them 5th and 19th in those defensive statistics. Opponents average 43.9 rebounds a game which ranks 16th and they give up 23.2 assists per contest which puts them in 19th place in the league. The Hawks force 15.5 turnovers per game which ranks them 28th in the NBA.

Advanced Statistics

The Blazers have an offensive rating of 109.7 and a defensive rating of 111.8. In terms of pace they average 97.1 possessions per 48 minutes and their effective field goal percentage is 52%. As a team they have a true shooting percentage of 56% and they shoot 3 pointers on 32% of their shots. Portland turns the ball over an average of 12.6 times per 100 possessions and they force 11.5 on the defensive end. Their defensive effective field goal percentage for the season currently is 51%.

Advanced Statistics

The Hawks rating on offense is 105.4 and they have a defensive rating of 106.1. They get 97.4 possessions per 48 minutes and they have an effective field goal percentage of 51%. As a unit they have a true shooting percentage of 55% and they attempt 3 pointers on 31% of their shot attempts. Atlanta turns the ball over on 14.1 out of every 100 possessions and their opponents average 13.9 turnovers per 100 possessions. Their defensive effective field goal percentage for the year is 51%.

Who will win tonight's Blazers/Hawks NBA game against the spread?

Guy's Pick: Take Portland +3

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