The Oklahoma City Thunder will travel to take on the Atlanta Hawks in a Monday night NBA matchup at the State Farm Arena. With that said, itâs a good time to check out our NBA odds series, which includes a Thunder-Hawks prediction and pick, laid out below.
Oklahoma City has won two games in a row to improve their record to 10-13, still only good enough for 13th place in the Eastern Conference. The Thunder have endured three losing streaks of at least three games, which has buried them in the standings.
Atlanta has gone 13-10 this season, fourth place in the Eastern Conference. The Hawks snapped a three-game losing streak with two straight victories over the Magic and the Nuggets. Even with an altercation between star player Trae Young and head coach Nate McMillan, the team is rolling.
Here are the Thunder-Hawks NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Thunder-Hawks Odds
Oklahoma City Thunder: +6.5 (-110)
Atlanta Hawks: -6.5 (-110)
Over: 237.5 (-108)
Under: 237.5 (-112)
Why The Thunder Could Cover The Spread
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has broken out in a big way, averaging 31.1 points, 6.0 assists, and 1.8 steals per game, all of which lead the team. Over a full season, Gilgeous-Alexander's scoring output would set a new career high. However, the rebuilding efforts for Oklahoma City were set back when Chet Holmgren was lost for the season back in August.
Josh Giddey, who went sixth overall in 2021, leads the team in rebounding with 7.7 per game, providing size in the absence of Holmgren. Giddey also ranks second on the Thunder with 14.7 points per game. Lu Dort is second with 1.2 steals, scoring 14.3 points per game, while also turning the ball over less than twice per game. Atlanta has forced 15.4 turnovers per game, which ranks 12th in the league.
While Oklahoma City has put up the most shots in the league, they are shooting just 46.4 percent from the field, which ranks 20th. Opponents have shot 46.8 percent against Atlanta, which is 13th in the league. In 20 out of the Hawks' 23 games, opponents have scored at least 100 points.
Oklahoma City has averaged 116.8 points per game, which ranks sixth in the league. The defense has been lacking, as opponents have averaged 117.8 points per game, which is the third-highest total in the league.
Why The Hawks Could Cover The Spread
Trae Young did not participate in Atlanta's win against Denver on Friday after an altercation with Nate McMillan. It is unclear whether Young will return tonight, as he is also nursing a shoulder injury. Young leads the team with 27.8 points and 9.6 assists per game. Dejounte Murray is second with 21.4 points and 6.7 assists per game, the perfect backcourt complement to Young.
Big man Clint Capela is the only Hawks player averaging a double-double, with 11.5 points and 12.0 rebounds per game. Atlanta has averaged 44.6 rebounds per game, which is 10th in the league, while Oklahoma City has allowed the most rebounds per game at 48.6. AJ Griffin has provided a spark off the bench, averaging 9.6 points while playing 18.7 minutes per game across his 19 appearances.
Atlanta has averaged 114.0 points per game, which ranks 13th in the league, but ranks second by turning the ball over just 13.2 times. Atlanta's defense has been average, ranking 15th with 113.3 points allowed per game.
Final Thunder-Hawks Prediction & Pick
Whether Young plays or not, Atlanta has the advantage. Limiting Gilgeous-Alexander will expose the lack of depth for Oklahoma City. Both teams score a ton of points, pointing towards the over.
Final Thunder-Hawks Prediction & Pick: Atlanta -6.5 (-110), over 237.5 (-108)
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