Hawks vs. Spurs prediction, odds, pick – 12/19/2024
12/17/2024 06:59 PM
The NBA Cup is behind us as the Atlanta Hawks and San Antonio Spurs meet in a rare battle down in Texas. It’s time to continue our NBA odds series with a Hawks-Spurs prediction and pick.
The last two games the Hawks played in were for the NBA Cup playoffs. Atlanta took down the New York Knicks thanks to a huge effort from Trae Young. Then, the Hawks faced the Milwaukee Bucks in Las Vegas and lost 110-102. Many had thoughts that the Hawks would upset the Bucks and play in the NBA Cup Final tonight in Vegas. Instead, the Hawks are playing the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday with a few extra days of rest. They are 14-13 on the season which places them 7th in the Eastern Conference.
The Spurs are finding a way to win games. At 13-13, many didn’t expect the Spurs to turn the switch this fast. The addition of Chris Paul has been very beneficial to Victor Wembanyama. The Spurs lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves last time out, but before that, came back down from 17 points to beat the Portland Trail Blazers. The Spurs will host Portland after this clash with the Hawks. A win on Thursday will see them above .500 once again.
Here are the Hawks-Spurs NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Hawks-Spurs Odds
Atlanta Hawks: -1 (-105)
Moneyline: -108
San Antonio Spurs: +1 (-115)
Moneyline: -108
Over: 234 (-110)
Under: 234 (-110)
How To Watch Hawks vs. Spurs
Time: 8:00 ET/5:00 PT
TV: Bally Sports Southeast
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why the Hawks Could Cover the Spread/Win
Trae Young is playing some of the best basketball of his career. He averages 21.5 points which is 33rd in the league and leads the NBA in assists per game at 12.1. The 26-year-old scored 35 points and dished out 10 assists with seven rebounds in the loss against the Bucks in the Semifinals of the NBA Cup. He shot 60% from three and kept his team in the game the whole way. The Hawks will remain away from home and need Young to continue his all-around play to get them past the Spurs. In 12 career games against SA, Young is averaging 26.1 points, 9.9 assists, and 3.8 rebounds.
Jalen Johnson currently has FanDuel’s 3rd-best odds to win the Most Improved Player award. The 22-year-old from Duke is a huge reason why the Hawks are having the season they are. He’s right behind Trae in scoring at 19.6 per game and leads the team with 10.1 rebounds (14th in the league). Johnson also dishes out 5.5 assists, steals 1.1 passes per game, and blocks 1.1 shots.
De’Andre Hunter and Dyson Daniels have also been very good for the Hawks this year. Hunter is averaging 19.3 points in 16 games this year as a key member of the bench. Daniels, on the other hand, is making a name for himself as Johnson is. Daniels contributes everywhere on the court scoring 13.4 points per game and averaging 5.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and leads the league with 3.0 steals per game.
The Hawks are 9th in the NBA in scoring at 116.2 points per game and the Spurs are 19th at 110.9. As long as the Hawks are seeing success on offense they will win this game.
Why the Spurs Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Spurs really struggled at home against the Wolves. Wemby scored 20 but CP3 did not score a single point. Scoring hasn’t been his priority this year but for him to not score a point is not a good sign. That was a game coming back from an ejection in the previous contest as well. Paul needs to be much better overall if the Spurs want to win this game. He averages just 9.6 points per game but is 6th in the NBA in assists at 8.4.
The team relies on Wemby on both sides of the floor but they have seen great production from Jeremy Sochan and Harrison Barnes. Barnes helps bring veteran leadership alongside CP3. Sochan is averaging 14.7 points and 8.5 rebounds on 52.4% shooting from the floor. Barnes is at 11.2 points on 49.2% shooting.
The Spurs can win this game with their defense. They are right in the middle of the pack in points allowed at 112.9 per game. Another good sign is that the Hawks allow 118.7. Despite that, Spurs need to keep this as low-scoring of a game as possible. That will give them the edge.
Keldon Johnson is currently listed as a game-time decision for Thursday.
Final Hawks-Spurs Prediction & Pick
This will be a great game that should see a lot of highlights on both sides. The Hawks are my pick here. They are playing really well offensively right now and that should give them the edge against the Spurs.
Final Hawks-Spurs Prediction & Pick: Hawks -1 (-105)
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