A couple of in-form teams meet at Staples Center in Los Angeles this Saturday, so hereโs my best Atlanta Hawks vs. Los Angeles Lakers betting pick along with the latest team news, stats, and odds update on BetRivers Sportsbook.
The Hawks and Lakers wrap up their two-game regular-season series, and back on February 1, Los Angeles earned a 107-99 victory at Atlanta as a 7-point road fave. This time, the Lakers are listed as 4-point home favorites with a total of 224.0 points.
Los Angeles is without Anthony Davis (calf), while Marc Gasol is questionable to play after clearing the COVID-19 medical protocols on Thursday. On the other side, Atlanta misses Cam Reddish (Achilles tendon) and DeโAndre Hunter (knee).
The Hawks aim for their eighth straight win
The Atlanta Hawks (21-20; 21-19-1 ATS) start an eight-game road trip Saturday in LA, rolling on a seven-game winning streak. They finally look like a playoff team, and during their terrific run, the Hawks have covered the spread five times along with one push.
Atlanta is coming off a 116-93 dismantling off the Oklahoma City Thunder this past Thursday. Trae Young accounted for 23 points and nine assists; John Collins had 19 points and three blocks, while Bogdan Bogdanovic added 23 points and six boards off the bench.
The Hawks are sitting at the fifth spot of the Eastern Conference standings, just half a game ahead of the Knicks, Hornets, and Celtics. They score 114.9 points per 100 possessions (9th in the NBA) on just 45.8% shooting from the field (20th) while yielding 112.9 points in a return (21st) on 45.6% shooting from the field (8th).
The Lakers smashed the Hornets for their fourth straight victory
The Los Angeles Lakers (28-13; 21-20 ATS) are coming off a comfortable 116-105 home victory over the Charlotte Hornets this past Thursday. It was their fourth consecutive win, while the Lakers are 5-0 ATS over their previous five outings.
LeBron James tortured the Hornets for 37 points, eight rebounds, and six assists. Dennis Schroder had a good game and finished with 22 points, seven assists, and four rebounds, while Kyle Kuzma and Talen Horton-Tucker added 12 points each.
The Lakers own the best defensive rating in the NBA, allowing 106.1 points per 100 possessions. They rank seventh in opponent field goal percentage (45.5%) and sixth in opponent 3-point percentage (35.3%). LA scores 112.2 points per 100 possessions (15th in the league) on 48.6% shooting from the field (4th) and 35.4% from downtown (21st).
Trends:
Atlanta:
- 3-6 ATS in the last nine games against the Lakers
- 1-6 ATS in the last seven games as underdogs of four or more points
LA Lakers:
- 5-0 ATS in the last five games overall
- 5-1 ATS in the last six home contests
The red-hot Hawks certainly stand a chance against the reigning champs who miss Anthony Davis, but I have to go with the Lakers to win and cover. LeBron James and his teammates have played well since the All-Star break, especially on the defensive end.
This should be a tight clash, and Iโm looking for the Lakersโ D to make the difference in the crunch time. Furthermore, the Lakers control the glass at a high level, posting the second-best defensive rebound percentage, while the Hawks own the second-best offensive rebound percentage in the NBA.
Pick: Take Los Angeles Lakers -4.0 at -110
The Total:
Three of the Hawksโ last four games went in the under. During that stretch, Atlanta limited its opponents below 100 points twice while surrendering 106 and 107 points on the other two occasions. As well as the Lakers, the Hawks defend the 3-point line well (fourth-best in the NBA), so Iโm going with the under on the totals.
The under has hit in eight of the Lakersโ last ten encounters with the Eastern Conference. In three of their last four outings, the Lakers held their rivals below 106 points. Also, four of the previous five matchups between Atlanta and Los Angeles went in the under.
Pick: Go under 224.0 points at -110