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The Detroit Pistons (8-26) visit the Atlanta Hawks (16-16) on Friday night. Action tips off at 7:40 pm ET. Below we continue our NBA odds series with a Pistons-Hawks prediction and pick.
Detroit has lost four straight games to drop them to last place in the Eastern Conference. The Pistons are 16-15-3 against the spread while 58% of their games have gone over. Atlanta has won two of their last three games but still sits in just eighth place in the East. The Hawks are 12-19-1 against the spread while 56% of their games have gone over. This will be the third of four meetings between the two teams. Atlanta has won both previous matchups in Detroit.
Here are the Pistons-Hawks NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Pistons-Hawks Odds
Detroit Pistons: +8.5 (-110)
Atlanta Hawks: -8.5 (-110)
Over: 233.5 (-110)
Under: 233.5 (-110)
Why The Pistons Could Cover The Spread
Detroit is firmly at the bottom of the standings as they have the single-worst record in the NBA. Detroit is bad at just about everything. Offensively, the Pistons rank 23rd in scoring and 25th in offensive rating. They're even worse on defense where they rank 29th in points allowed and 29th in defensive rating. The one area Detroit can battle a bit is on the glass as they rank 24th in rebound differential and 15th in rebound rate.
The Pistons can cover the spread as they have often this season despite their poor overall record. Atlanta has been disappointing this season, especially against the spread. Additionally, the Pistons covered +8.5 once already against the Hawks. That being said, Detroit has gotten crushed in each of their last two games and will need a big performance from at least one of their key players if they want to cover a hefty spread. If Detroit is going to cover, they'll need another strong performance from leading scorer Bojan Bogdanovic.
Bojan has been one of the few bright spots on this depleted Detroit roster. An offseason acquisition from Utah, Bogdanovic is averaging a career-high 20.7 PPG. He's been remarkably efficient considering his high usage, shooting 49% from the field and 42% from three. He has a realistic shot at joining the coveted 50/40/90 club as well since he's shooting 90% from the line on 5.2 attempts per game. Bogdanovic has struggled in recent games, however. He's averaging just 12.5 PPG and shot 6-18 from the field over his last two outings. That being said, he's averaged 27.5 PPG on 52% shooting in two games against Atlanta. His previous success against the Hawks is something to keep in mind before making a Pistons-Hawks prediction.
Why The Hawks Could Cover The Spread
The Hawks have taken a step back this year thanks in large part due to a number of key injuries. They've hung around, however, and look to be ready to make a playoff push with nearly everyone healthy now. The Hawks have been a solid offensive team, ranking 14th in scoring and 19th in offensive rating. They've been a little below average on defense with ranks of 19th in points allowed and 17th in defensive rating. The Hawks have struggled to rebound the ball as they rank 23rd in rebound differential and 22nd in rebound rate. Atlanta could get some reinforcements on the glass tonight as center Clint Capela is listed as questionable for tonight's game after missing the last week with a calf strain.
If the Hawks are going to cover tonight, they're going to need star guard Trae Young to continue to start figuring it out from beyond the arc. Known for his outside shooting, Trae has been absolutely abysmal from three this season. Despite taking 7.3 attempts per game, Young is shooting just 31%. He's started to heat up as of late, however. Over his last three games, he's averaged 34 PPG while shooting 46% from beyond the arc. He nailed a season-high seven threes in his last outing and finally started to look like the Trae Young of years past. It isn't as if he was ineffective before, as he's averaged 27.6 PPG and 9.8 APG for the season. He's just been inefficient. If Trae is officially “back” tonight, that's something betters need to take into consideration before making a Pistons-Hawks prediction.
Both Dejounte Murray and John Collins returned from injuries this week. Although neither player played particularly well in their first two games back, it's very encouraging to see them back in the lineup. Collins was critical in their earlier wins over Detroit, providing 11.5 PPG and 10.5 RPG. Murray, too, played a big role in their earlier success over the Pistons thanks to averaging 20 PPG and 6.5 APG.
Final Pistons-Hawks Prediction & Pick
With Atlanta starting to get healthy, I like them to run away with this one tonight.
Final Pistons-Hawks Prediction & Pick: Atlanta Hawks -8.5 (-110)
