It will be a battle between Southeast Division opponents when the Atlanta Hawks (20-48) welcome the Hornets (29-39) to Philips Arena. The game will air on Fox Sports Carolina at 7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 15, 2018.
The Over/Under (O/U) for the game has been set at 220 points with Charlotte opening as a 4.5-point favorite.
Charlotte Hornets at Atlanta Hawks ATS Prediction
The last time the Hornets played, they were defeated by the New Orleans Pelicans, 119-115. New Orleans out-rebounded Charlotte. The Pelicans had 14 offensive rebounds and 50 total rebounds, while the Hornets had eight and 45, respectively. Dwight Howard led Charlotte in scoring with 22 points on 9-for-12 shooting.
The Hawks fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder in their last outing, 119-107. Oklahoma City’s turnover percentage was their largest strength over Atlanta. The Thunder had a rate of 6.5 (better than their season average of 12.2), while the Hawks posted a mark of 13.3. With 25 points on 9-for-20 shooting, Taurean Prince led Atlanta in scoring.
Second-chance points might be hard to come by for Atlanta in this meeting. The Hawks are among the league’s elite on the offensive glass, ranking 17th in offensive rebounding percentage at 21.9 percent. Meanwhile, Charlotte ranks first in the NBA at corralling defensive rebounds with a defensive rebounding percentage of 81.2 percent. Moreover, the Hornets rank second in turnover percentage (12.2 percent), while the Hawks rank second in opponents’ turnover percentage (15.2 percent).
Charlotte heads into the contest with records of 29-39 straight up (SU) and 27-37-4 against the spread (ATS). Of the Hornets’ 68 games, 35 have finished over the projected point total.
Meanwhile, Atlanta owns records of 20-48 SU and 33-33-2 ATS. Unlike Charlotte, a little over half of Hawks games have finished under the total.
The Hornets have emerged victorious in all three matchups against the Hawks this year, including a 13-point victory in their last matchup. Charlotte covered as a 2.5-point favorite and the game finished with a total of 233 points, which was 22 points above the projected point total of 211 points. The Hornets had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (32.4 vs. 11.8) and had a better effective field goal percentage (0.606 vs. 0.584). Kemba Walker was the game’s top overall scorer with 38 points.
Charlotte Hornets at Atlanta Hawks ATS Pick
Pick: SU Winner – Hornets, ATS Winner – Hawks, O/U – Over
Notes
Betting Notes:
On the road, Charlotte is 11-18-3 ATS with 16 overs, 15 unders and 1 push.
Atlanta is 18-18 ATS at home with 18 overs, 16 unders and 2 pushes.
When holding opponents under 100 points, Charlotte is 10-3 and Atlanta is 9-4.
The Hornets are 28-18 when they reach 100 points, while the Hawks are 18-27.
Charlotte ranks second in steals allowed per game (6.5) while Atlanta ranks 27th (8.7).
The Hornets rank second in points off turnovers allowed per game (14.2) while the Hawks rank 24th (17.9).
Charlotte ranks first in second chance points allowed per game (10.2) while Atlanta ranks 23rd (13.3).
The Hornets rank fifth in fast break points allowed per game (10.3) while the Hawks rank 24th (13.1).
Charlotte ranks fifth in rebounds per game (44.9) while Atlanta ranks 24th (41.1).
The Hawks rank eighth in assists per game (23.7) while the Hornets rank 26th in assists allowed per game (24.6).
Charlotte ranks 17th in blocks per game (4.7) while Atlanta ranks 27th in blocks allowed per game (5.4).
The Hawks rank 10th in three pointers attempted per game (30.3) while the Hornets rank 18th in three pointers allowed per game (29.8).
Charlotte ranks 20th in points in the paint per game (43.5) while Atlanta ranks 28th (40.6).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Charlotte is 2-3 ATS with 4 overs and 1 under.
Atlanta is 0-5 ATS with 2 overs, 2 unders and 1 push over their last five games.
The Hornets’ average margin of defeat in their last five games has been 6.0, up from 0.6 for the season.
During their last five games, the Hawks have scored an average of 103.8 points per game (0.2 above their season average) and allowed an average of 115.6 points per game (6.9 above their season average).
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