A dominant start to the season has the Pistons sitting atop of the Eastern Conference. Still, Detroit has hit a bit of a speed bump, dropping three of its last six games. Tonight, the Hawks will look to earn a road upset in the Motor City. Although Atlanta remains without Trae Young, this club is well-positioned for a playoff berth.
In this potential playoff preview, which players will step up? The Pistons are favored by 7.5 points (-110) over the Hawks, with the over/under set at 232.5 points. Here are two of the top prop bet picks on DraftKings Sportsbook for tonight’s Hawks vs. Pistons matchup.
Hawks vs. Pistons prop bet picks
Onyeka Okongwu 25+ points + rebounds (-126)
In addition to Young (knee), Kristaps Porzingis (illness) will also miss Friday’s contest. That means Atlanta will be missing two of its top scorers, and an important piece down low. In KP’s absence, Onyeka Okongwu should have more responsibility on offense tonight. This season, the center is averaging 16.0 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists. From the field, he’s notched 51/36/76 shooting splits. When these clubs last met, on December 1st, OO tallied 20 points, six rebounds and four assists.
Granted, a big performance is never guaranteed for any center facing Detroit. The Pistons have allowed the sixth-fewest points (113.3) and tenth-fewest rebounds (50.9) per game to their opponents. Still, the absence of Porzingis opens up more potential avenues for Okongwu to contribute. Over 12 games played this season without KP, the 25-year-old has posted 18.0 points and 7.6 rebounds. Okongwu has reaced 25 points + rebounds in four of his last eight outings. Another stellar stat line could be in store for Atlanta’s underrated big man.
Cade Cunningham 10+ assists (+121)
Detroit’s hopes of competing for a title depend almost entirely on Cade Cunningham. To be fair, this is a deep roster with several high-quality pieces. Regardless, the Pistons don’t have any other players that can put up a triple-double on any given night. This season, the All-Star is averaging 27.5 points, 6.4 rebounds and 9.3 assists per game. That’s in spite of middling 45/30/84 shooting splits. The 24-year-old ranks fifth in basketball with 21.0 field goal attempts per game, giving him a solid floor.
Unlike in years past, Atlanta has made a notable effort on defense. Still, this is a spot that Cade has thrived in before. Over their previous three games, the Hawks have allowed the NBA’s seventh-most points (121.7) and fifth-most assists (28.7). Scoring should be even easier for the Pistons without Porzingis, one of the sport’s better rim protectors. Cunningham has notched at least ten assists in five of his previous six meetings with Atlanta. There’s a good chance Detroit’s face of the franchise keeps that trend going tonight.
