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The NBA regular season continues with games on Friday. The Atlanta Hawks will hit the road and take on the Los Angeles Lakers. It's time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Hawks-Lakers prediction and pick.
Both of these teams have had similar starts to the season. The Atlanta Hawks are only 17-20 but are coming off a solid win. While the Los Angeles Lakers are 20-19 and have managed to win their last three games. This should be a good game between two teams trying to notch another win.
Here are the Hawks-Lakers NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Hawks-Lakers Odds
Atlanta Hawks: +3 (-112)
Los Angeles Lakers: -3 (-108)
Over: 229 (-110)
Under: 229 (-110)
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Why The Hawks Could Cover The Spread
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The Atlanta Hawks have had a disappointing season thus far. While they have struggled with both injuries and COVID they have also struggled to win games. Through their first 37 matches they have a losing record with only 17 wins and 20 losses. However, they are coming off a solid 6 point win over the Sacramento Kings. The Hawks are still battling through injuries but will look to carry the momentum of their last game into their next. The Lakers have been rather vulnerable this season and this is certainly a winnable game for Atlanta. Expect the Hawks to hit the road and step things up as they start to try and string together back to back wins.
The Hawks were able to come out ahead against the Kings without their star player, Trae Young. This was a pretty impressive outing from Atlanta and they showed that other players on the team are capable of turning things up. Six of the eight players that played for the Hawks in that game scored over double digit points. This type of team basketball is very difficult to combat. Beyond that, the Hawks got to the line 30 times in that game, compared to only 20 from Sacramento. Most other statistics were close, with the Hawks edging the Kings out by a bit. Atlanta played a great game against the Kings and if they can bring that same energy to Friday’s match then they should be able to take care of the Lakers.
The main concern for this team is both injuries and COVID. The Hawks currently have 9 players on the injury report. Four of those players are listed as out for Friday’s match, four are questionable, and one player, Cam Reddish, is probable. Headlining the questionable players are John Collins and Trae Young. If neither Collins nor Young play on Friday that would be a huge hit to this team. Those two guys are core pieces of this team and have the ability to impact the outcome of games. With that said, Trae and Collins both missed the Hawks last game and in their absence other players were able to pick up the slack. If Atlanta can play as well as they did against the Kings then they could come out on top.
Why The Lakers Could Cover The Spread
The Los Angeles Lakers have not been having a great season this year. Chemistry issues, injuries, and COVID are just some of the reasons this team has struggled. The Lakers have barely squeaked out a winning record through their first 39 games, winning 20 and losing 19. However, LA has been on a little win streak recently, winning their last three games. The Lakers most recent victory came over the Sacramento Kings by 8. Los Angeles battled in that game and will be trying to extend their win streak to four against a vulnerable Hawks team. Expect LA to come out strong and give the Hawks a good battle. If the Lakers can just maintain what they’ve been doing lately then they should win this one.
The Lakers and Kings were actually close across most statistics. While LA had the edge in total field goals, the Kings were ahead from three pointers and free throws. Where LA was dominant was in points in the paint. This is where the Lakers have the potential to outdoes other teams. They have an ability to get to the paint and score the ball efficiently. While the Kings had 46 points in the paint, the Lakers had 62. But arguably the biggest reason for LA’s victory was the Kings lack of ball security. Sacramento turned over the ball 18 times while LA only did so 5 times. The Lakers were able to capitalize on their opponents mistakes and ultimately secure the win.
Los Angeles currently only has three players on the injury report. Both Kendrick Nunn and Anthony Davis remain out for the Lakers. LeBron has been listed as day to day, but is probable for Friday’s game. The Lakers are pretty lucky, all things considered, as they have nearly their entire roster to work with. Now if this team can just kick things up a notch then they could start dominating. The Lakers have a ton of talent and potential, but it has yet to be unlocked this season. If LA can score another win on Friday and extend their win streak then they might be able to go on a very big run. Expect big things from LA on Friday.
Final Hawks-Lakers Prediction & Pick
The Lakers should be able to get the win here. With all the injury concerns in Atlanta, this is a prime opportunity for LA to extend their win streak. Pick the Lakers to win and cover and hope that some of the Hawks key players stay out.
FINAL HAWKS-LAKERS PICK: Los Angeles Lakers -3 (-108)
FINAL HAWKS-LAKERS SCORE PREDICTION: Lakers 112 – Hawks 105
