NBA picks: Hawks vs. Heat prediction, odds, over/under, spread, injury report for Friday, Dec. 22

Southeast division rivals square off Friday evening when the Atlanta Hawks (12-15) meet the Miami Heat (16-12) in South Beach. The Hawks have won their last two games as they attempt to climb back in the Eastern Conference playoff picture, while the Heat have four of their last six contests. These sides played earlier this year with Miami winning 117-109.

Jalen Johnson remains sidelined for the Hawks. Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro were not available in that win for the Heat. Butler has been ruled out with a calf injury, while Herro is good to go.

The Heat are 1.5-point favorites according to DraftKings Sportsbook, with the total coming in at 237.5. Miami is -122 on the moneyline, while Atlanta is +102.

Hawks vs. Heat, 8 p.m. ET

Pick ATS: Heat -1.5

Miami has dealt with injuries to key players for significant chunks of the last three seasons, but it has never seemed to faze the Heat. They haven’t been a great ATS team this season, going 12-16 overall and 2-4 in their last six games. They are among the worst teams against the number at home with a 3-10 mark. The Hawks are 6-9 ATS on the road, with a 4-7 ATS mark as the road underdog.

Even without Butler, I like Herro, Bam Adebayo and Miami’s underrated supporting cast to get the job done in this contest. This is effectively a pick ‘em, and the Heat should be able to slow down Atlanta’s offense enough to get the win.

Over/Under: Under 237.5

Even though the Heat have gone over their totals in the last four games and five of the last six, they would’ve gone under in every game if the total was at this line. On the flip side, the Hawks have been going over high totals routinely, with a 6-1 mark to overs in the last seven. Even though the Heat are trending to overs at home, this number is substantially above most of their previous totals. I like Miami to put the clamps on the Hawks Friday and keep this number under 237.5.