The Jazz are hosting the Hawks on Thursday. On DraftKings Sportsbook, Atlanta is favored by 2.5 points and this game carries a total of 233.5 points.
Below, I break down the matchup and provide a pick for the game.
Jazz vs. Hawks preview, prediction
While the Jazz are no title contender, they have been better than most expected this season, with a 4-7 record and ranking 22nd in net rating. Utah is coming off a 24-point rout over the Pacers on Tuesday, in which the Jazz scored a whopping 152 points. This was a great sign for this team that has struggled offensively this season, ranking 23rd in offensive rating and 26th in field goal percentage (43.9%).
Lauri Markkanen led the way for Utah in this victory with 35 points, which has been the norm this season. The forward is averaging a career-high 28.3 PPG, which ranks ninth in the NBA. Keyonte George has also improved in his third season, averaging 21.4 points and 7.1 assists per game, both of which are career-highs for the guard. However, outside of Markkanen and George, the Jazz don’t have any consistent scorers, which is their main issue. Also, Walker Kessler just went down for the season with a shoulder injury after a strong start to 2025-26, which is a big loss for Utah on both sides of the floor, as Walker ranks second in plus/minus for the team. Jusuf Nurkic has been starting at center in place of Kessler, and while Nurkic has been solid defensively, he is shooting a career-worst 36% from the field and he has been hurting the Jazz on offense.
Utah will be at home tonight, where the team has been much better this season with a 3-2 record. The Jazz also have the advantage in rest over the Hawks, as Utah hasn’t played since Tuesday, whereas Atlanta just played last night. That being said, the Hawks’ game on Wednesday wasn’t much of a contest, as they ran the Kings off the floor in a 133-100 win, and none of Atlanta’s starters saw more than 26 minutes of action.
This marked the Hawks’ third win in a row, and for the season, they are 7-5 and rank 12th in net rating. Trae Young (hamstring) has missed seven straight games, but that hasn’t been a problem at all for Atlanta, and the team has actually been much better without the guard. This season, Young is averaging career-lows in points (17.8), assists (7.8) and field goal percentage (37%), and he ranks dead-last in plus/minus for the Hawks. Young has been out since October 31, and over this time, Atlanta is 5-2 and ranks eighth in net rating. The small guard’s Achilles heel throughout his career has been his defense, and with Young inactive for the last seven, the Hawks impressively rank second in defensive rating, trailing only the defending champion Thunder.
While this is only a seven-game stretch we are talking about here, best believe the Hawks’ front office is paying close attention to the team’s results without Young. The organization very well could finally decide to move on from the guard and trade him this season. In the meantime, with Young still without a timetable for a return, Atlanta should continue to be a defense-first team that is led by some promising young players in Jalen Johnson and Dyson Daniels. With Young sidelined, Johnson is leading the Hawks with 20.5 points, 9.8 rebounds and 6.3 rebounds per game on 58% shooting.
Kristaps Porzingis is likely to rested tonight after playing last night, but this isn’t much of a concern for the Hawks, either, as Onyeka Okongwu is a terrific replacement starter. With Porzingis inactive just this past Saturday night vs. the Lakers, Okongwu started and stuffed the stat sheet with 12 points, eight rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks. More importantly, Atlanta defeated Los Angeles by 20 points, regardless of that being the second leg of a back-to-back set, which is the same situation it finds itself in tonight.
Jazz vs. Hawks pick, best bet
While the Jazz are at home and the more rested club, the Hawks are on a roll right now and are the much better team.
Atlanta’s impressive run without Young should continue with another win, yet backing it to win on the moneyline at a -135 price is the move. Not only is Atlanta on the road this evening, but the team hasn’t been great at covering this season, with a 6-6 ATS record.
