The Atlanta Hawks (40-29) can extend a five-game home winning streak when they meet the Houston Rockets (35-34). Action begins at 7:30 pm ET on Saturday, Mar. 19 and can be seen on FxS and RSW.
The Hawks enter this game hoping for similar success after blowing out the Nuggets 116-98 on Thursday. Tim Hardaway Jr. was the game’s leading scorer with 21 points on 6-for-11 shooting. The Rockets, meanwhile, are coming off a 116-111 win against the Timberwolves on Friday. James Harden claimed his 19th double-double of the season with 29 points and 14 assists.
This one might be a mistake-prone game for the Rockets offense, which ranks 28th in the NBA in miscues (turnover percentage of 15.4%). They’re matched up against the disruptive Atlanta defense, which causes the second-most turnovers in the league (15.8%).
This is the second game of the year between these two teams, with the Hawks winning the first matchup 121-115. Al Horford put up a double-double in the victory with 30 points and 14 rebounds.
The Hawks have gone 40-29 Straight Up (SU) and 35-32-2 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 40-29 SU and 35-32-2 ATS against the Western Conference. Atlanta is one of the best passing teams in the league with an average of 25.5 assists per game. Crossing over to the defensive side of the court, the Hawks prevent teams from making three-pointers on the defensive end, ranking fifth in the league with a .333 opponent field-goal percentage from three-point range. Atlanta’s defenders rank third in the NBA in steals with 9.3 per game. Atlanta is the league’s top scoring team off turnovers with an average of 19.1 points per game. Atlanta will look to take advantage of the Rockets and their propensity to foul. Houston ranks 28th in the league in fouls, averaging 22.7 per game.
In the other locker room, the Rockets have a record of 29-39-1 ATS and 35-34 SU. Houston performed well ATS during its last 10 games, earning an 8-2 record. The Rockets are a terror in the passing lanes, averaging an NBA-best 10.2 steals per game. Houston is the third-best team in the league at scoring points off turnovers with 18.8 per game.
Atlanta beat Houston in their most recent meeting this season, but the win was not enough to overtake Houston in the recent head-to-head series. Its record is now 4-6 SU over the most recent 10 meetings. The Rockets also lead the matchup ATS with a record of 6-4.
Predictions: SU Winner – Atl
Notes
“Atlanta is 9-2 ATS in its last 11 games “.
“Atlanta is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games “.
“The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Atlanta’s last 6 games “.
“Atlanta is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home”.
“Atlanta is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta’s last 6 games at home”.
“Atlanta is 5-11 ATS in its last 16 games when playing Houston”.
“Atlanta is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Houston”.
“The total has gone OVER in 5 of Atlanta’s last 7 games when playing Houston”.
“Atlanta is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Houston”.
“The total has gone OVER in 5 of Atlanta’s last 6 games when playing at home against Houston”.
Houston’s offense and Atlanta’s defense are well matched, ranking zeroth in points per game and points allowed per game respectively. Houston puts up an average of 0.0 points per game, while Atlanta gives up 0.0 points per game.
Houston and Atlanta are well matched, ranking zeroth in points per away game and points allowed at home respectively. Houston puts up an average of 0.0 points on the road, while Atlanta gives up 0.0 points at home on average.
When allowing fewer than 100 points, the Hawks are 28-9 on the season. When the Rockets score fewer than 100, they are an abysmal 2-14.
The Atlanta Hawks have a losing 12-20 record in games where they have allowed at least 100 points. The Houston Rockets are 33-20 when they hit triple digits.
The Rockets have a defensive rating of 106.9 (ranked 23rd). The Hawks rank 19th for their offensive rating of 103.5.
With 99.1 possessions and 1.035 points per possession, the Atlanta Hawks perform worse on both metrics than the Houston Rockets. Houston averages 100.5 possessions and 1.057 points per possession.
Atlanta is among the top-ranked teams based on its average effective field goal percentage of 51.6% (ranked sixth in the NBA). Houston is a losing 12-23 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
On average, the Atlanta Hawks make 25.5 assists per game and the Houston Rockets make 21.9. Atlanta is ranked second, while Houston is ranked 17th.
Atlanta makes an average of 5.7 blocks per game (ranked eighth), while Houston makes 5.1 blocks per game (ranked 14th).
The Atlanta Hawks rank 30th in offensive rebounding, while the Houston Rockets rank 27th in defensive rebounding.
Atlanta ranks third in steals per game with 9.3. When Houston gives up 9 or more steals, the team has an even 17-17 record.
