NBA Odds: Hawks (even)
The Eastern Conference’s top team will be at home when the Atlanta Hawks (44-12) welcome the Dallas Mavericks (38-20) to Philips Arena. Action begins at 7:30 pm ET on Wednesday, Feb. 25 and can be seen on FSN-SW and SPSO.
The Hawks played well in their last game, topping the Bucks 97-86 on Sunday. Paul Millsap played a pivotal role, recording his 12th double-double of the season with 23 points and 16 rebounds. The Mavericks, meanwhile, are coming off a 92-81 win against the Hornets on Sunday. Tyson Chandler had a good game for Dallas, accounting for 12 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks.
Ball control could weigh heavily in this showdown. Dallas commits the third-fewest errors in the league (turnover percentage of 12.4%), while Atlanta’s disruptive defense forces the fifth-most (opponents’ turnover percentage of 15.5%).
This is the second game of the year between these two teams, with the Hawks winning the first matchup 105-102. Kyle Korver had a standout performance in the victory, putting up 18 points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals, and three three-pointers.
The odds for Atlanta and Dallas are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently unavailable. The Hawks come into this game 44-12 Straight Up (SU) and 37-19 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 15-4 SU and 14-5 ATS against the Western Conference. The Hawks are one of the best in the NBA in terms of three-point field goals, making 9.8 shots per game from beyond the arc. Atlanta is one of the best passing teams in the league with an average of 25.6 assists per game.
As for their opponent, the Mavericks have a record of 27-28-3 ATS and 38-20 SU. Against the Eastern Conference, Dallas is 19-5 SU and 15-9 ATS. The Mavericks rely heavily on three-pointers on offense, ranking third in the league with 555 made (9.6 per game). The Mavericks are the better of the two teams when it comes to assist-to-turnover ratio, ranking third in the NBA at 1.9. Dallas is the best team in the league at scoring points off turnovers with 19.5 per game.
In their previous meeting this season, Atlanta beat Dallas, bringing the head-to-head record to an even 5-5 SU over the last 10 meetings. They are also even ATS in their last 10 games. In these last 10 matchups, Dallas held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers three times, with Atlanta controlling all three of these areas once.
Predictions: SU Winner – DAL, ATS Winner – DAL
Notes
Dallas averages 105.9 points per game (ranked fourth). However, Atlanta has allowed an average of just 96.8 points per game (ranked third).
Atlanta has allowed an average of 95.7 points per home game this season. Dallas averages 105.0 points per away game, placing the team fifth in scoring.
The Mavericks have a 19-2 record when they allow fewer than 100 points. The Hawks, however, have performed well when they score under 100 points, with a record of 13-7 in such matchups.
Dallas is 19-18 when allowing 100 or more points this season. The Hawks have a superb 31-5 record when hitting triple digits.
The Mavericks have the fourth-best offensive rating in the NBA (108.0). The Hawks are also in the top half of the league based on their defensive rating of 100.2 (ranked seventh).
Dallas is ranked fifth in the NBA with an average field goal percentage of 46.3%. Atlanta is an even 7-7 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Atlanta Hawks average 25.7 three point attempts per game, and the Dallas Mavericks attempt 26.8 per game. When going for at least 25 three pointers in a game this season, both teams have winning records; Atlanta is 26-7 and Dallas is 28-13.
Atlanta ranks near the top of the league with an assist to turnover ratio of 1.91 (ranked second). Dallas is ranked third, with an A/TO of 1.88.
The Atlanta Hawks are one of the worst rebounding teams in the league with just 41.1 per game. The Dallas Mavericks average 42.5 rebounds (ranked 20th).
Atlanta is ranked 13th in defensive rebounds, while Dallas ranks 18th in offensive rebounds.
Though Dallas is one of the best in the league in forcing turnovers with opponents averaging a TOV% of 15.9% (ranked third), Atlanta has a winning 12-5 record SU when it has a TOV% of 15.9% or greater.
