The Atlanta Hawks (39-37) host the Cleveland Cavaliers (42-24) Thursday for a 7:30 p.m. ET game at the State Farm Arena. Below, we look at the Cavaliers vs. Hawks odds and lines, and make our expert NBA picks, predictions and bets.
Cleveland has lost 4 of 5 and 6 straight against the spread (ATS) with the latest being a 120-112 defeat Wednesday at home to the Dallas Mavericks.
Atlanta has won 4 of 5 including 3 consecutive games (4-1 ATS), the most recent a 136-118 beatdown of the Thunder Wednesday in Oklahoma City.
The Hawks are 2-1 straight up (SU) and ATS versus the Cavs this season and the total is 2-1 Over/Under (O/U).
Cavaliers at Hawks odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:17 p.m. ET.
- Money line (ML): Cavaliers +200 (bet $100 to win $200) | Hawks -250 (bet $250 to win $100)
- Against the spread: Cavaliers +5.5 (-105) | Hawks -5.5 (-120)
- Over/Under: 228.5 (O: -115 | U: -107)
Cavaliers at Hawks key injuries
Cavaliers (not yet submitted)
- C Jarrett Allen (finger) out
- PF Evan Mobley (ankle) out
Hawks (not yet submitted)
- PF John Collins (foot) out
- SF Danilo Gallinari (elbow) questionable
[tipico]
Cavaliers at Hawks odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
Cavaliers 119, Hawks 116
Money line
SPRINKLE on CAVALIERS (+200), if at all, because Cleveland’s spread is the sharper play since both teams are playing in the second of a back-to-back but the Hawks are a team worth fading in this spot.
According to CleaningTheGlass.com (CTG), Atlanta is 0-3 SU in games where both teams are playing with no rest days with the second-WORST adjusted net rating (minus-10.7).
Also, Cleveland’s offense showed up in Wednesday’s loss to Dallas and the Cavs outscored the Mavs in 2 of the 4 quarters, but lost the third quarter 39-22 to key the defeat.
If Cleveland can stay hot from the field then the Cavs will certainly cover the spread and perhaps steal this game outright.
Again, my preferred play is Cleveland plus the points but there’s a little value on the CAVALIERS (+200).
PLAY: Free, daily sports pick’em contests. Play now!
Against the spread
Definitely BET the CAVALIERS +5.5 (-105) instead of or heavier than their ML because the Hawks -5.5 (-120) have the WORST ATS margin (minus-13.3) in games where Atlanta and its opponent are both in the second of a back-to-back, per CTG.
Furthermore, this is a more profitable spot for the Cavs who are 9-5 ATS as 5-to-7-point underdogs whereas the Hawks are just 4-4 ATS as 5-to-7-point favorites.
On top of that, Cleveland should be at peak motivation considering its 2 games behind the Toronto Raptors for the sixth and final non-play-in seed in the East.
The CAVALIERS PLUS THE POINTS is my favorite wager in this game.
Over/Under
PASS with a “lean” towards the Over 228.5 (-115) because Cleveland’s offense lit up a good Dallas defense Wednesday and Atlanta is putting up 119.9 points per game in the last two weeks.
However, we are getting by far the worst of the number since the Cavaliers-Hawks total opened at 221.5 and has been steamed up a touchdown to the current number. At this point, there would be more value in fading the line movement regardless of how I feel about the matchup.
Bet legally online with a trusted partner: Tipico Sportsbook, Sportsbook Wire’s official sportsbook partner in CO, NJ and soon IA. Bet now!
If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW. Please gamble responsibly.
Follow Geoff Clark on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
Additional NBA sports coverage:
HoopsHype | Celtics Wire | LeBron Wire | Lonzo Wire | Nets Wire | Rockets Wire | Sixers Wire | Thunder Wire | Warriors Wire | Rookie Wire | List Wire
Gannett may earn revenue from Tipico for audience referrals to betting services. Tipico has no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. See Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. 21+ only. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA).
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1622]