The Atlanta Hawks (22-22) visit the Dallas Mavericks (24-21) on Wednesday. Action tips off at 6:00 pm ET. Below we continue our NBA odds series with a Hawks-Mavericks prediction, pick, and how to watch.
Dallas has lost five of their last eight games, moving them into fifth place in the Western Conference. The absence of Christian Wood and Luka Doncic saw the Mavs lose to the Portland Trail Blazers in blowout fashion. Their return to the American Airlines Arena might see the Mavericks come back to their winning ways.
The Hawks have seen new life at the turn of the year. Their last eight games saw them losing only three matches. Carrying a three-game winning streak, Atlanta looks to improve its .500 record, as the team currently sits in ninth place at the Eastern Conference ladder.
This will be the first of two matchups between the two squads. Last season’s two meetings were split by both teams.
covered 50% of their games while 54% went under the projected point total. Memphis has won nine consecutive games and is tied for first place in the West. The Grizzlies covered 53% of their games while 50% went over. This will be the third of four meetings between the two teams. The road team picked up double-digit wins in each of the first two matchups.
Here are the Hawks-Mavericks NBA odds for our prediction, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Mavericks-Hawks Odds
Dallas Mavericks: -3 (-112)
Atlanta Hawks: +3 (-108)
Over: 232.5 (-110)
Under: 232.5 (-110)
How To Watch Mavericks vs. Hawks
TV: ESPN Deportes, ESPN
Stream: NBA League Pass
Time: 7:30 PM ET / 4:30 PM PT
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV(click for a free trial)*
Why The Hawks Could Cover The Spread
The Hawks welcomed back Clint Capela and Bogdan Bogdanovic on Monday night, which proved beneficial for the Hawks as they mustered a 121-113 win over the Miami Heat.
The Hawks have been decent in scoring this season. They sit outside the top 10 with 115.1 points per game, including a fourth-best league record of 82% free-throw shooting. Despite these figures, their three-point shooting has been atrocious. They hit a 30.8% clip from rainbow territory, which is just inexcusable considering they have decent shooters from deep in the likes of Bogdanovic, Trae Young, AJ Griffin, Dejounte Murray, and De’Andre Hunter. Aside from these five, the Hawks still have Capela, Onyeka Okungwu, and John Collins, who are capable of posting double-digit figures per game.
Atlanta should be able to cover the spread here if they continue to make buckets in the 10 to 14 feet and 15 to 19 feet area, where they sit at the top five in both coverages. Trae Young looks to extend his 20-point scoring streak to 14 games, while Dejounte Murray’s three recent outings featured 18, 27, and 28 points, and that trend is also expected to continue. With a complete squad ready to take another win on the road, the Hawks feel like they can deliver a close game at Dallas’ home ground.
Why The Mavericks Could Cover The Spread
The Maverick’s blowout losses to the Blazers should be a wake-up call to the Mavericks to get on their scoring groove. Luka Doncic is still the leading scorer in the NBA, averaging 33.8 points per game, along with 8.9 rebounds, 8.8 assists, and 1.6 steals. Christian Wood trails closely with near double-double averages of 18.4 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. Spencer Dinwiddie and Tim Hardaway Jr. also follow suit with 16.6 and 14-point averages.
The Mavericks make 47% of their field goal shots, convert 35.9% of their three-point makes, and sink only 74.3% of their free throws. While they rank dead last in the league with 38.9 rebounds and 22.1 assists per game, they make up for it in other aspects. They rank second in the league in turnovers made per game at only 12.4 and they make the most fouls drawn at 22.8.
The Mavs will be playing without the services of Hardaway, Maxi Kleber, and McKinley Wright IV. However, the Mavericks will be able to cover the spread if Doncic can put up another near triple-double performance. Dinwiddie, Wood, Reggie Bullock, Jaden Hardy, and Dorian Finney-Smith should also complement Doncic on the offensive side of the game.
Final Hawks-Mavericks Prediction & Pick
The last three games of the Hawks turned out to be close games, but they have been able to deliver the finishing touches to secure those three wins. The closest that Dallas could match Atlanta’s performance was the Mavericks’ performance against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, which sent the game to double overtime. If Dallas will be able to replicate that performance, they might just be able to snatch the win they need. However, Atlanta’s healthy roster will be able to withstand Dallas’ depleted depth chart. Expect a high scoring affair, but the Hawks might just be able to secure the spread.
Final Hawks-Mavericks Prediction & Pick: Atlanta Hawks +3 (-108), Over 232.5 (-110)
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