Portland and Atlanta previously met on Jan. 15. The Trail Blazers won, 117-101, with the total going under by 10.5 points. Shaedon Sharpe, Jalen Johnson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker all played in that game, too. Now we have a much higher total in this rematch, yet each team's two top scorers are either out or questionable. Portland's Sharpe, who averages 21.4 points, will miss his 10th straight game due to a stress reaction of the left fibula. Deni Avdija, who leads Portland in scoring at 24.4 points per game and also is the team leader in assists, has missed the last three games because of injury management for his lower back. He is questionable as are the Hawks' two top scorers, Johnson and Alexander-Walker, both of whom missed Atlanta's last game this past Thursday against the Wizards. The Trail Blazers lost, 109-93, on the road to the Hornets yesterday. They are playing without rest and for the sixth time in 10 days. So Portland won't be pushing tempo. The Hawks have gone UNDER in each of their last six games. Take the UNDER.
