The Atlanta Hawks (26-26) visit the Utah Jazz (27-26) on Friday night. Action tips off at 9:10 p.m. ET. Below we continue our NBA odds series with a Hawks-Jazz prediction, pick, and how to watch.
Atlanta has lost two of their last three games and sits in eighth place in the Eastern Conference. The Hawks covered 45% of their games while 60% went over the projected point total. Utah has won three of their last four games and sits in eighth place in the Western Conference. The Jazz covered 57% of their games while 56% went over. This will be the second and final meeting between the cross-conference foes. Utah brought home a 125-119 road victory back in November.
Here are the Hawks-Jazz NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Hawks-Jazz Odds
Atlanta Hawks: +1 (-110)
Utah Jazz: -1 (-110)
Over: 242 (-110)
Under: 242 (-110)
How To Watch Hawks vs. Jazz
TV: Bally Southeast, ATTSN Rocky Mountain
Stream: NBA League Pass
Time: 9:00 p.m. ET/ 6:00 p.m. PT
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Hawks Could Cover The Spread
Atlanta has climbed back into the playoff picture and figures to be a very dangerous team going forward. The Hawks feature a strong offense that ranks ninth in scoring with 116.5 PPG. They do a great job finding open teammates and limiting mistakes, ranking fifth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.9:1). Atlanta plays at an above-average pace, and thus averages the most made shots in the league (44 FGM/Game). Their offense should see plenty of success against a Utah defense allowing the ninth-most points per game.
Atlanta has a number of skilled shot-makers but is led by their talented backcourt. Trae Young leads the team in scoring, with 27 PPG, and assists, with 9.9 APG. While he isn't having one of his better shooting years, he averages 2.1 made threes per game and is a constant threat to pull from well beyond the arc. With two thirty-point games in his last two appearances, expect Trae to cook against a vulnerable Jazz defense.
Trae's backcourt mate has been nearly as impressive this season. Dejounte Murray has been tremendous in his first season in Atlanta, averaging 21.2 PPG, 5.5 RPG, and 6.1 APG. The do-it-all guard can fill up a box score and is going off a tremendous stretch of games. After scoring 40 points in their loss to Portland on Monday, he filled it up with 21 points, eight assists, and six rebounds in their resounding win over Phoenix. Additionally, Murray is posting some of his best outside shooting numbers of his career, averaging 2.1 threes per game at a 37% clip.
The X-factor for the Hawks tonight is forward Bogdan Bogdanovic. The sweet-shooting forward has been playing extremely well of late. Over his last three games, Bogdanovic averaged 16.7 PPG while shooting 43% from beyond the arc. While he missed their earlier matchup with the Jazz, expect him to light it up from three against Utah.
Why The Jazz Could Cover The Spread
Utah continues to be one of the best stories in the league. After being widely projected to tank this season, the Jazz find themselves in the thick of a loaded Western Conference playoff race. Utah features one of the best offenses in the NBA. The Jazz rank fourth in scoring with an average of 117.8 points per game. In addition to ranking in the top ten in assists (25.9 APG), Utah ranks eighth in rebounding with 52.8 RPG. While they do struggle defensively, the Jazz makes up for it with their lethal outside shooting. Utah averages 14.6 threes per game – the fourth most in the league.
The Jazz are led by All-Star Lauri Markkanen. A serious contender for the Most Improved Player of the Year, Markkanen is one of the most well-rounded scorers in the league. He has improved his offensive output in each month of the season and is coming off his strongest stretch of games of the season. In 11 January games, Markkanen averaged 28.5 PPG and 9.0 RPG while shooting 49% from the floor and 44% from three. That incredible efficiency from deep is even more impressive considering he averages 3.4 made threes per game. Coming off a 28-point, 13-rebound performance on Wednesday, expect Markkanen to have a big game against Atlanta's bottom-ten defense.
The X-factor for Utah is their rookie center, Walker Kessler. The seven-footer had trouble cracking the rotation early on but has come on strong as the season has progressed. He averaged 10 PPG and 9.5 RPG in January and is coming off one of his best games of the season. In Wednesday's win over Toronto, Kessler scored 17 points, pulled down 14 rebounds, and blocked seven shots. With 12 blocks in his last two games, Kessler should give Atlanta fits on the defensive end.
Final Hawks-Jazz Prediction & Pick
Utah is a narrow favorite tonight despite being a strong home team. Thus, we ride with the Jazz in what is essentially a pick 'em.
Final Hawks-Jazz Prediction & Pick: Utah Jazz -1 (-110)
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