The Atlanta Hawks (30-32) are in the nation’s capital Friday for a 7 p.m. ET game against the Washington Wizards (28-33) at Capital One Arena. Below, we look at the Hawks vs. Wizards odds and lines, and make our expert NBA picks, predictions and bets.
This is a low-key important game with playoff implications as the 10th-place Hawks are 1.5 games ahead of the 11-seed Wizards for the East’s final play-in seed.
Atlanta beat Chicago 130-124 Thursday, covering as 2-point home favorites. The Hawks are 2-2 straight up (SU) and 2-2 against the spread (ATS) since the All-Star break and have alternated between winning and losing in their past four games.
Washington lost its first two games following the All-Star game and then eked out a 116-113 win at home over the Detroit Pistons, but failed to cover as 3.5-point favorites.
These teams split their first two meetings Oct. 28 and Nov. 1 with the home team winning and covering each and both games went Over the total.
Hawks at Wizards 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 11:30 a.m. ET.
- Money line (ML): Hawks -190 (bet $190 to win $100) | Wizards +155 (bet $100 to win $155)
- Against the spread: Hawks -4.5 (-108) | Wizards +4.5 (-112)
- Over/Under (O/U): 222.5 (O: -112 | U: -108)
Hawks at Wizards key injuries
Hawks (not officially submitted)
- PF John Collins (foot) doubtful
Wizards
- PF Vernon Carey Jr. (hip) doubtful
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Hawks at Wizards odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
Wizards 112, Hawks 110
Money line
Slight “LEAN” to the WIZARDS (+155) because of the chunky payout and since I like Washington’s spread a lot. However, the bulk of my handicap is fading Atlanta in this spot so I’d only sprinkle a one-fifth-unit on the Wizards.
That said, Washington has a lot of size and length that could frustrate Atlanta. Also, the Wizards have the second-best shot quality allowed on defense, according to CleaningTheGlass.com (CTG), and allow the fewest 3-point attempts per game in the NBA.
Plus anyone can score on Atlanta’s defense.
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Against the spread
Definitely BET the WIZARDS +4.5 (-112) instead of or heavier than their ML because this is the much sharper wager.
Most of the market will surely be on the Hawks -4.5 (-108), especially after their impressive victory against the Bulls yesterday.
But, a contrarian mindset can be profitable in sports betting and there are reasons to fade Atlanta in this spot.
For instance, the Hawks are 4-7 ATS on the second of a back-to-back and Trae Young plays worse on the road and on zero rest days.
Also, Young has struggled in Washington throughout his career, scoring 20 or more points in just one of his five visits to D.C.
The WIZARDS PLUS THE POINTS is my favorite wager in this game.
Over/Under
PASS.
The situational trends for this matchup don’t provide a clue as to how this game plays out and my prediction aligns with the projected total so there’s no value in this number for me.
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