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The NBA will showcase this underrated Eastern Conference matchup tonight! It's time to continue our NBA odds series with a Cavaliers-Hawks prediction and pick.
Both of these teams are coming off losses in games where they could have won. The Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Philadelphia 76ers last time out. They are now (35-22) on the season which is good for 3rd in the East. The Hawks lost to the Boston Celtics last time out after winning a majority of the first half. They are now (26-30) which puts them 10th in the conference. This has the makings of being an entertaining game to watch.
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Here are the Cavaliers-Hawks NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Cavaliers-Hawks Odds
Cleveland Cavaliers: +1 (-110)
Atlanta Hawks: -1 (-110)
Over: 219.5 (-110)
Under: 219.5 (-110)
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Why The Cavaliers Could Cover The Spread
Cleveland contains the top overall defense in the NBA in terms of scoring. They allow just 102.1 points per game. As for Atlanta, they are 22nd in the league allowing 111.7 points per game on the season. Cleveland is the three-seed right now because of their elite defense. They contain four elite big men who all contribute on both ends each game. Lauri Markkanen is out with an ankle injury but Kevin Love has been doing just fine coming off the bench and leading the second unit. The Cavs have issued many different starting lineups and it seems they are the best when Markkanen is playing the three. Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen are just dominating this season and are considered the frontcourt.
The Cavs will cover this spread if their defense continues to lock up opponents and they don't allow Trae Young to go off four 40+ like Joel Embiid just did to them. Embiid made the No. 1 Cavs' defense look silly trying to defend him the other night. They can not let that happen again, even though Young is clearly as opposite of a player to Embiid as it gets. Young can shoot from anywhere in the building so Darius Garland and whoever has his assignment must continue to defend well.
Why The Hawks Could Cover The Spread
The Hawks played well in the first half against the Celtics as the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals were warming up for the Super Bowl. Atlant ended the first quarter up 28-17 but allowed a 42-point third quarter from the Celtics to allow them to come back and beat them. There was not much Atlanta could do, however, as Jayson Tatum went off for 38 after starting the game 1-8. Tatum ended the night making 12 of his last 19 shots and the Celtics stormed back thanks to him. The Hawk's defense was non-existent in the second half despite holding the Celtics to just 18 points in the 4th quarter. It was a sloppy ending but the Hawks could have easily won that game.
Now, they must bounce back and try and take on another difficult defense. They have to face the two best defenses in the NBA in back-to-back games which is not an easy feat. John Collins is currently out with a foot injury so his presence will be missed. The Hawks need to make sure Garland is contained as well as Mobley. Those two are having a phenomenal season for Cleveland.
These teams square off for the third time this season. The Hawks won the last matchup 121-118 after Young and Love both had 35 points.
Final Cavaliers-Hawks Prediction & Pick
This is a tough one to choose because both teams are missing crucial players. I'm making this pick solely because the Cavs are the better team right now. Pick Cleveland to cover this spread on the road. I'm not sure how they are the underdogs in this game. Cleveland is 34-19-3 against the spread and Atlanta is 24-31 ATS.
Final Cavaliers-Hawks Prediction & Pick: Cavaliers +1 (-110)
