Make your plans to head to the Peach State in December.
While we still don’t know Notre Dame’s complete 2022-23 schedule, we now know of at least two December games. That’s thanks to this tidbit from Tom Noie of the South Bend Tribune:
As this game is being held the weekend before Christmas, it appears to be this year’s replacement for the Crossroads Classic, the annual Indiana college basketball showcase that was held for the final time last season after the Irish opted out of it. The good news is the Irish still will have the luxury of playing in an NBA arena at the same time of year.
The Irish and Bulldogs previously have met three times. They most recently faced each other during the 2011 CBE Classic in Kansas City, Missouri. After having lost twice to the Irish, the Bulldogs got on the board in the all-time series with a 61-57 win. [autotag]Jerian Grant[/autotag] had a game-high 20 points and led the Irish with four assists.
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Georgia has been one of a handful of states at the center of everyone’s attention over the few days during the election.
State Farm Arena was part of that. The Hawks’ home arena served as a polling place for citizens in Atlanta to get out their vote on election day with lots of poll workers helping them cast their ballots.
We already knew how important their jobs were, but with how close the state of Georgia is and how much Atlanta has mattered in the race it’s more apparent than ever. These people did some tremendous work.
And as a thank you, Atlanta Hawks All-Star Trae Young bought the poll workers at the arena boxed lunches from Jason’s Deli.
Thank you poll workers at State Farm Arena for your hard work and being a valuable player in our democracy! pic.twitter.com/WFcU1qyTGc
Previewing Monday’s Memphis Grizzlies at Atlanta Hawks sports betting odds, with NBA matchup analysis and picks.
The Memphis Grizzlies (29-31) stop by the State Farm Arena on Monday for a 7:30 p.m. ET tip-off against the Atlanta Hawks (19-43). We analyze the Grizzlies-Hawks odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.
Place a legal sports bet on this NBA action or other games at BetMGM.
Grizzlies at Hawks: Key injuries
GRIZZLIES
PF Jaren Jackson Jr. (knee) out
PF Brandon Clarke (hip) out
SG Grayson Allen (hip) out
SF Justise Winslow (back) out
HAWKS
SF Cam Reddish (back) out
PF Skal Labissiere (knee) out
C Dewayne Dedmon (elbow) out
SG DeAndre’ Bembry (abdominal) out
C Clint Capela (heel) out
Grizzlies at Hawks: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips
NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 12:45 p.m. ET.
The Grizzlies (+110) snapped a five-game losing streak (overall and against the spread) when they upset the Los Angeles Lakers, 105-88, at home on Saturday. The Hawks (-134) have won back-to-back games, and four out of six (overall and against the spread), including 129-117 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday.
These are no longer the Grit & Grind Grizzlies that were making consecutive postseason appearances, but this team does play with grit that Atlanta doesn’t generally match. Memphis ranks 10th in second-chance points, fourth in fast break points and first at points in the paint. They are going against a Hawks team that ranks second to last in opponent’s second-chance points and opponents ‘points in the paint, plus 22nd in opponents’ fast-break points. The Grizzlies excel at what the Hawks struggle with, and they are in a dogfight for the eighth and final seed in the Western Conference playoffs – so they NEED this game.
HAMMER GRIZZLIES +110 on the moneyline.
New to sports betting? Bet $100 on Grizzlies to earn a profit of $100 if they upset the Hawks.
PASS ON THE SPREAD (+1.5, -106) and make the moneyline the main play. However, since this game is trending to being a coin flip, we can use this section (and against the spread trends) to strengthen our moneyline handicap.
Memphis has performed better than Atlanta in non-conference games: the Grizzlies have a 10-10 record against Eastern Conference teams, while the Hawks are 9-13 versus teams from the West. Memphis is a tad better ATS team on the road against losing teams (8-7 ATS) than Atlanta is at home versus losing teams (5-5-1 ATS).
The Hawks have an Over/Under record of 38-24, which is extraordinary because theoretically, bookmakers price Atlanta totals higher given their defense is terrible and offense chucks the eighth-most three-pointers in the NBA. In non-conference games, the combined O/U record of these teams is 27-15 and Atlanta home games have a 19-12 O/U record. The Hawks defense will have little resistance against the Grizzlies whose defense allows the 23rd most points per game.
BET OVER 239.5 (-115).
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Previewing Friday’s Brooklyn Nets at Atlanta Hawks sports betting odds and lines, with NBA betting picks, tips and best bets.
The Brooklyn Nets (26-31) and Atlanta Hawks (17-43) square off at State Farm Arena in Atlanta at 7:30 p.m. ET Friday. We analyze the Nets-Hawks sports betting odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.
Nets at Hawks: Key Injuries
Nets
SF Kevin Durant (Achilles) out
PG Kyrie Irving (shoulder) out
Hawks
SG DeAndre’ Bembry (abdominal) out
C Clint Capela (heel) out
C Dewayne Dedmon (elbow) out
SG Kevin Huerter (groin) probable
C Damian Jones (illness) questionable
PF Skal Labissiere (knee) out
PG Trae Young (illness) questionable
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Nets at Hawks: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips
NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 10:30 a.m. ET.
The NETS (-154) are moderate favorites on the road against the banged-up Hawks (+125). Brooklyn is also looking to pull off the four-game regular-season series sweep. The Nets are 3-0 straight up and against the spread in their previous three meetings wit the Hawks, winning by an average margin of 120 to 105.3.
New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Nets ML returns a profit of $6.50 if they win.
Take the NETS (-2.5, -115), as they have owned the Hawks (+2.5, -106) all season. Atlanta has a lengthy list of injuries, so Brooklyn should have the advantage yet again. While Brooklyn is just 4-10 ATS in the past 14 on the road, it’s an impressive 7-3 ATS in the past 10 as a favorite. Brooklyn has also dominated this series, going 7-1 ATS in the previous eight overall, and the Nets are 5-1 ATS in the past six trips to the ATL.
The UNDER 233.5 (-110) is an amazing value, and you should definitely take advantage here. Atlanta just has too many injury issues, and Brooklyn is still trying to find someone to fill the void left by Irving. The Under is 7-3 in the past 10 overall for the Nets, and 5-2 in their past seven on the road. While the Over is 12-2 in Atlanta’s past 14 at home, the Under is 13-4-1 in the past 18 meetings in this series, and 6-2 in the past eight in Atlanta.
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Previewing Saturday’s Dallas Mavericks at Atlanta Hawks sports betting odds, with NBA matchup analysis and picks.
The Dallas Mavericks (34-22) visit the Big Peach to play the Atlanta Hawks (16-41) Saturday in State Farm Arena at 7:30 p.m. ET. We analyze the Mavericks-Hawks odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.
Place a legal sports bet on this NBA action or other games at BetMGM.
Mavericks at Hawks: Key injuries
Mavericks
PF Dwight Powell (Achilles) out
Hawks
PF De’Andre Hunter (personal) out
SG DeAndre’ Bembry (abdominal) doubtful
PF Skal Labissiere (back) out
C Clint Capela (heel) out
Mavericks at Hawks: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips
NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 1:10 p.m. ET.
NO PLAY. Atlanta PG Trae Young is coming off a career-high 50-point performance in a Thursday’s 129-124 home win against the Miami Heat. The Mavericks started their post-All-Star Break campaign off on the right note, winning at Orlando Magic 122-106 Friday. Dallas smoked Atlanta in the first meeting at home 123-100 Feb. 1, and that was without its top two leading scorers in SG Luka Doncic and PF Kristaps Porzingis. I am ruling out a Hawks +200 upset because of their Saturday splits. Atlanta is 2-7 on Saturdays, losing by an average score of 126-105, whereas Dallas has a 7-3 record on Saturdays, winning by an average score of 121-108. However, the poor value of Mavericks -250 steers me away from wagering on them. PASS.
Honestly, one can make a great argument for both of these teams covering. The Hawks +6.5 (-121) are 16-10-1 ATS in home games, but the MAVERICKS -6.5 (+100) are 18-6-2 ATS in road games. Plus, Atlanta is 13-6 ATS at home against teams above .500; Dallas is 9-2-1 ATS on the road against teams below. 500. The Hawks are 1-5 ATS in their last six games following a straight-up win, but the Mavericks are 1-5 ATS in the last six meetings in Atlanta and are 2-10 ATS in the last 12 meetings.
I lean MAVERICKS -6.5 (+100) because of the Saturday splits, the first game of the season and Dallas just being a much better team this year.
For all the noise about the Hawks’ offensive proclivity, they are last in the NBA in 3-point percentage and 23rd in field-goal percentage. Also, the Under is 9-3 in the last 12 meetings. But Dallas has the highest percentage of Overs this season and Atlanta has the fourth highest. Their combined O/U record is a staggering 60-43 for the season. Let’s root for a fun game and bet OVER 239.5 (-121). There should be Atlanta-bred rappers and celebrities in attendance, plus if Offset and Cardi B are there maybe Luka puts on a show for his crush.
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Previewing Wednesday’s Houston Rockets at Atlanta Hawks odds, picks and best bets sports betting odds, with NBA matchup analysis and picks.
The Houston Rockets (24-11) meet up with the NBA’s worst team, Atlanta Hawks (8-29), at State Farm Arena for a 7:30 p.m. ET tip-off Wednesday. We analyze Rockets-Hawks odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.
Place a legal sports bet on this NBA action or other games at BetMGM.
Rockets at Hawks: Key injuries
Rockets
PG Russell Westbrook (rest) out
SG Gerald Green (foot) out
C Nene (groin) out
Hawks
PF Jabari Parker (shoulder) out
PF Bruno Fernando (personal) out
Rockets at Hawks: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips
NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 4:00 p.m. ET.
The Rockets (-358) could open a whole can of butt whoopin’ on the Hawks (+275). G James Harden has played really well in his nine career games in Atlanta despite falling slightly below his career average in points per game (24.7 in Atlanta versus 24.9 for his career); he shoots .504% from the field and .434% from behind the arc. Since his co-star, Westbrook, is taking a load management reprieve against the Hawks, expect Harden to have a higher usage rate than his already NBA-high of 37%. Since I see no reason Harden won’t decimate a Hawks team ranked 27th by defensive rate, PASS on the moneyline due to the lack of value in the -358 odds for the visitors.
Betting ROCKETS (-7.5, -121) is the right play here. What do we know the Rockets and Harden like to do? Shoot free throws; the Rockets rank first in the NBA in free-throw attempts. The Hawks rank 27th in free-throw attempts allowed. That, combined with a glaring offense versus defense mismatch—the Rockets are first in PPG (119.4) and the Hawks allow the second-most PPG (117.3)—makes the Rockets the only side to take.
Houston’s opponents shoot below average from long distance (.352%, ranked 19th) but that doesn’t make them good at defending threes, in my opinion, because their opponents are getting off the most 3-point attempts in the NBA. The Hawks have struggled from three so far this season (ranked last in 3-point%) but get up a bunch of attempts per game (35.1, ranked ninth) so if their shots fall, the Over looks great.
I lean OVER 237.5 (-106), not like, because I prefer to bet the total in correlation with the favorite’s playing style and surprisingly enough the Rockets’ Over/Under record is just 15-20. Furthermore, the Hawks’ 23rd-ranked offense (107.5 PPG) is a little too inconsistent for the absurd 237.5 total.
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Jean Pascal believes he controlled his fight against Badou Jack and deserved the victory Saturday in Atlanta.
It was close. It was controversial.
But don’t call it a robbery, says Jean Pascal.
“I won this fight, it was a close fight, but I won it,” Pascal said at a late news conference after his split-decision victory over Badou Jack Saturday in a light heavyweight bout on Showtime. “Badou is a great fighter, but no one can say he was robbed. I won that fight.
“I’m the champ. I think I was in control the whole fight. I kept the middle of the ring most of the time. Badou is a great fighter, but I won.’’
Many in announced crowd of more than 14,000 at Atlanta’s State Farm Arena booed the scoring – 114-112 on two cards for Pascal and 114-112 on the third for Jack.
Pascal appeared to control the first five-to-six rounds, which included a knockdown of Jack in the fourth. But Jack gained momentum midway through the bout. He consistently landed more punches over the final six rounds. Boxing Junkie scored it 115-111 for Jack.
Jean Pascal’s fire combined with a passionate response from Badou Jack made for an exciting light heavyweight fight Saturday night.
GOOD
I don’t know what got into Jean Pascal but I hope it’s catching.
The Haitian-Canadian fought Badou Jack with the hunger of a 21-year-old trying to establish himself in boxing, not an aging veteran, winging hard punches at a high rate from the opening bell on the Gervonta Davis-Yuriorkis Gamboa card Saturday in Atlanta.
His best moment came in the fourth round, when he landed a right to the side of Jack’s head that sent him sprawling to the canvas.
Pascal, 37, couldn’t maintain his pace beyond the first half of the fight, which opened the door for the more-steady Jack to take control of the later rounds and score his own knockdown in the 12th and final frame.
Still, Pascal’s youthful energy and a passionate response from Jack gave fans a terrific light heavyweight bout that stole the show at State Farm Arena.
I had a problem with the decision – a split verdict for Pascal – because I thought Jack was the tortoise to Pascal’s hare. I thought he controlled the fight with his jab, outworked Pascal overall and was much more precise in his punching.
CompuBox supports those observations: Jack outlanded Pascal 244 to 155 and had an edge in his connection rate, 39 percent to 28.
That said, I don’t want to be overly critical of the judges for two reasons. One, they had similar scores. All three had it 114-112, two for Pascal and one for Jack. That kind of consistency is ideal. And, two, the fight was damn good. That’s also ideal.
BAD
Gervonta Davis (left) landed plenty of power shots and ultimately stopped a gimpy Yuriorkis Gamboa but something was missing. Amanda Westcott / Showtime
I was expecting one of two things from the Davis-Gamboa fight: a firefight for as long as it lasted or a spectacular performance from Davis. Neither happened, which was a shame.
The foot injury Gamboa suffered when he went down in the second round – or whatever it was – precluded any chance that the 38-year-old Cuban would be competitive. We can’t expect much from an old, declining fighter with an Achilles injury.
That would seem to have made Gamboa easy prey for a knockout artist like Davis, who had stopped 21 of his previous 22 opponents. It didn’t. Gamboa, clever if nothing else, did what he could to survive and Davis was unable to put him away until the 12th and final round.
“Tank” might’ve had an off night. It happens. Or Gamboa might’ve been trickier than we realize. Most likely, Gamboa didn’t train properly leading up the fight, which would explain the fact he initially missed weight and then gave a sluggish performance.
Whatever the reason, a fight that should’ve been exciting was mildly entertaining at best. Davis did land a high percentage of his power shots, which we’ve come to expect. He just didn’t throw many punches, 321 the entire fight, according to CompuBox, and seemed to be tired in the later rounds.
I don’t know whether Davis’ stock suffered as a result of his performance but I’m guessing a lot of people were disappointed.
WORSE
Davis is a role model for a lot of young people, including his daughter. He should keep that in mind when it comes to his behavior. Amanda Westcott / Showtime
A bit of unsolicited advice for Davis: Be a professional.
The Gamboa fight was billed as Davis’ debut at 135 pounds, although he had fought over 130 at least nine times. Still, he was moving up in weight. And he initially weighed in 1.2 pounds over the limit before making weight on his second try.
Seriously? This is supposed to be your biggest fight and you miss weight?
I don’t want to draw conclusions based on an extra 1.2 pounds but it raises questions in my mind about Davis’ training for the fight. And that was reinforced by his so-so performance, at least by his standards. Is he willing to put in the work to become great or not? It’s not going to happen without the effort.
And was the shove at the weigh-in necessary? Perhaps it was orchestrated to promote the fight, although I doubt organizers would trot out such a tired gimmick. Either way, pushing your opponent and igniting a melee does nothing but make you look bad.
Davis has the potential to be a great fighter, his performance against Gamboa aside. That means he could enjoy fame and fortune. And he already is a role model for a lot of kids in Baltimore and perhaps beyond, who will follow his lead.
With that in mind, I would hope Davis learns from his missteps and grows as both a man and a fighter.
