The Cleveland Cavaliers put their four-game win streak on the line as they square off with the Atlanta Hawks in an Eastern Conference matchup. Check out our NBA odds series as we give a Cavaliers-Hawks prediction and pick. We will also tell you how to watch the game!
The Cavaliers are comfortably in fourth place in the East. They can still catch Philadelphia for third place, though. With a record of 48-28, the Cavaliers trail Philadelphia by just 1.5 games. This is because of how well they have played lately. In their last ten games, Cleveland is 8-2. This includes their current four-game win streak. The Cavaliers had an easy task in their last game, beating the Houston Rockets by 17 points. In this game, Cleveland entered the fourth quarter up by five. They held Houston to only 11 points in the entire quarter, which is tied for second fewest amount of points scored in a quarter this season.
The Hawks are in the play-in tournament right now as the eighth seed. However, the eighth through tenth seeds can go either as they are separated by a single game. Being that eighth seed is important because you then have two chances to get out of the play-in games. If a team loses the first game as a seven or eight seed, they then face the winner of the ninth seed vs. tenth seed. The Hawks need to string together a few wins to lock up the eighth seed. In their last game, the Hawks lost a close one to the Memphis Grizzlies 123-119.
These two teams have met twice this season and have each won a game on their home court.
Here are the Cavaliers-Hawks NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Cavaliers-Hawks Odds
Cleveland Cavaliers: -1 (-108)
Atlanta Hawks: +1 (-112)
Over: 235.5 (-110)
Under: 235.5 (-110)
How To Watch Cavaliers vs. Hawks
TV: Bally Sports Southeast, Bally Sports Ohio
Stream: NBA League Pass
Time: 7:30 PM ET/4:30 PM PT
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Cavaliers Could Cover The Spread
The Cavaliers are the best defensive team in the NBA. They give up only 106.5 points per game, and they are one of just two teams giving up less than 110. They are middle of the pack in steals, so their defensive game plan is not to jump passing lanes or try to steal off the dribble. Instead, Cleveland frustrates opponents into bad shots. Opponents shoot 46.8 percent from the field against Cleveland, good for seventh worst in the NBA. When the Cavaliers beat the Hawks earlier this season, they held Atlanta to only 43.7 percent shooting. If the Cavaliers can do this again, they will find themselves adding a game to their win streak.
Atlanta allows the seventh-highest field goal percentage in the league. Cleveland shoots 48.8 percent on the season, which is sixth best. However, the Cavaliers need to dictate the pace of the game. They shoot the fourth least amount of shots in the NBA, which means they are very confident in their half-court offense. The Cavaliers need to keep this game in the half court. Their set defense is incredibly hard to score on, and their offense is very efficient. If Cleveland allows Atlanta to get out and run, they will get themselves in trouble.
Controlling the pace of the game and continuing to frustrate the Hawks offense will win them this game.
Why The Hawks Could Cover The Spread
Cleveland is bottom of the league in rebounding. As mentioned earlier, the Cavaliers do a really good job at forcing teams into taking contested and bad shots. However, if the Hawks do happen to take these bad shots, they need to crash the boards. Atlanta is 11th in the league in offensive rebounding. Cavaliers' big man Jarrett Allen is questionable in this game and he averages 9.9 rebounds. If he sits this one out, the Hawks are going to have that much easier of a time rebounding. Those second-chance points are going to be important if the Hawks want to pull of this victory.
Cleveland does a lot of things well, but one thing they struggle with is preventing the three-ball. The Cavaliers allow the tenth highest three-point shooting percentage. Atlanta does not shoot the three ball particularly well, but they do have the ability to get hot. When the Hawks beat the Cavaliers this year, Atlanta shot over 50 percent from three, making 15 of them. If the Hawks can get hot from deep again, they will come away with the victory.
Final Cavaliers-Hawks Prediction & Pick
The Hawks can score, but they are streaky. Cleveland plays solid defense consistently and have a 31-8 record against teams below .500. This will be a close game, but expect the Cavaliers to extend their win streak.
Final Cavaliers-Hawks Prediction & Pick: Cavaliers -1 (-108), Under 235.5 (-110)
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