San Antonio Spurs vs. Atlanta Hawks Prediction, Preview, and Odds
The San Antonio Spurs are traveling to State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia to face the Atlanta Hawks. San Antonio is 7-31 this season and sits last in the Western Conference. Atlanta is 11th in the Eastern Conference and has a record of 15-23. The Hawks have won one game earlier this season against the Spurs with a final score of 137-135. The game is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. EST.
San Antonio Generating Offense
The San Antonio Spurs are traveling to Atlanta after their loss on Saturday against the Chicago Bulls with a final score of 116-122. The Spurs have had an issue this season on offense as they are averaging 112.6 points per game. While this is concerning, the Spurs have been playing better on offense. In their last three games the Spurs have averaged 127 points per game. While these points were generated against poor defenses, I think the point stands that the Spurs are capable of producing on offense if the defense is bad enough.
On defense we are seeing a similar story as they rank 26th overall in points allowed per game at 121.7. While they are allowing a lot of points per game on the season, in their last three games the Spurs have only allowed an average of 109.7 points per game. Again, while their three last games were against teams that struggled on offense, the Spurs were still able to show that they can play defense.
Atlanta Failing on Defense
The Atlanta Hawks are coming off a loss on Saturday against the Washington Wizards with a final score of 99-127. The Hawks have been struggling all year at defense but lately it seems to be getting worse. Atlanta this season is averaging 124.1 points allowed per game, placing them second to last in points allowed. In their last three games this number jumps up to 128.3 points allowed per game. We notice in those recent games that they were playing some of the top offenses in the league but even in a game against Washington who has an average offense at best, should not have managed 127 points. We are seeing the Hawks mainly fail around the paint where they allow the second most field goals per game and the worst field goal shooting percentage at 50.5%.
On offense it is a different story for the Hawks as they average 121.7 points per game this season. While this is impressive this number has gone down in recent games as they are averaging 115.3 points per game in their last three games. This is a head scratcher for me as the Hawks played two of the worst defenses in the league in their last three games and were only able to get 99 and 108 points in those games. The Hawks still rank number one in field goal attempts per game and fifth in field goals made.
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Best Bets
Full-Game Side Bet
Rating:
In their last ten games the Spurs have managed to cover this spread in all but two of their games. When the Spurs lose they still tend to keep the game somewhat close and in this matchup I am expecting a back and forth game. Given how both teams have been playing in their recent games, I suspect the game will be closer than the line indicates. The Spurs also covered this spread in three of their last five meetings with the Hawks, including their most recent one this season which finished with a two point margin.
I am taking the Spurs at +8.
Prediction: San Antonio Spurs +8 ( -108 )
Full-Game Total Pick
Rating:
The Hawks are going to want to get back to their season average points production and the Spurs are the perfect opponent to do it on. The Spurs are generating more offense and the Hawks are allowing more points. When we factor in both teams averages on offense and defense in their last three games, home/away, and on the season we get a projected total of 240. Once we factor in the average pace of both teams which is a whopping 106.4 possessions, we get a final predicted score of 255.
I am taking the over at 245.5.
Prediction: Over 245.5 ( -112 )
Growing up in Pittsburgh, Anthony has always been surrounded by sports. Whether its watching the Penguins win the cup or the Steelers winning another ring, he saw what it took to win it all. He enjoys breaking down stats and applying them to spreadsheets to better his picks. With the combination of watching trends and his spreadsheets, Anthony has been very successful as a sports bettor. His last name is the German word for people and it is clear that he is the people's choice when it comes to handicapping.
