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The San Antonio Spurs will take on the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night. It's time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Spurs-Hawks prediction and pick.
Neither of these teams has had the seasons they expected to have. San Antonio is one of the worst teams in the entire league with a 20-35 record, so they'll obviously miss the playoffs by a wide margin. That always causes for concern for head coach Gregg Popovich and the Spurs. The Hawks were coming off of a deep playoff run coming into the season, and now they're set to miss the postseason just like the Spurs. Atlanta has a 26-28 record, which places them in the tenth seed in the Eastern Conference. This is the perfect opportunity for the Hawks to begin to turn things around, so let's get straight into the pick.
Here are the Spurs-Hawks NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Spurs-Hawks Odds
San Antonio Spurs: +8 (-112)
Atlanta Hawks: -8 (-108)
Over: 232.5 (-110)
Under: 232.5 (-110)
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Why The Spurs Could Cover The Spread
The Hawks have been one of the absolute worst defensive teams in the NBA this season. Atlanta allows nearly 112 points per game while giving up a 53% shooting percentage from two-point range. The Hawks also give up a whopping 36% shooting percentage from three-point range, one of the worst numbers in the league. San Antonio isn't a particularly good offensive team, but they should score on this Hawks team with ease.
Unsurprisingly, Atlanta has been one of the worst teams in the NBA at covering the spread. The Hawks are currently 24-30 against the spread, while the Spurs have earned a 28-27 record in that category. The Spurs are also 14-12 ATS as the road team, and 12-9 when they enter the game as a road underdog. A cover here is entirely possible for San Antonio.
Why The Hawks Could Cover The Spread
Despite their abysmal record, the Hawks have done some things right this season. Their offense has been one of the most potent in the league, and that should show in this matchup with a middling Spurs defense. Atlanta's offense ranks inside the top ten in the NBA in nearly every single category, including effective field goal percentage, shooting percentage, and points per game. San Antonio allows nearly 112 points per game on 46% shooting to their opponents, making this a relatively easy matchup for the Hawks.
Injuries have become a problem for almost every team in the NBA by now, and the Spurs are no exception. Several key backups will likely miss this game for a variety of reasons. Backup point guard Tre Jones is dealing with a mouth injury, and Josh Richardson, Romeo Langford, and Tomas Satoransky will all miss this game as they wait to join the Spurs after a number of trades at the deadline. San Antonio will be extremely shorthanded here.
Final Spurs-Hawks Prediction & Pick
This spread is much too large to pick the Hawks. They've been one of the most unreliable teams in the league all year, and there's no reason to think that will change here. The Spurs should eke out a cover here.
Final Spurs-Hawks Pick: San Antonio Spurs: +8 (-112)
