The San Antonio Spurs and Atlanta Hawks will face off as part of tonight’s five-game NBA slate. Both these teams have been off to respectable starts to the season, and this will be a nice measuring stick for each side.
San Antonio fell just short in Tuesday’s NBA Cup Final, but still made a statement with their overall level of play in the tournament. Victor Wembanyama is back on the court after missing an extended stretch with his calf issue, but the Spurs have more than stayed afloat without him. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Hawks were crowned one of the offseason’s biggest winners, but have had some ups and downs in the early stages of the year.
Looking at the odds for tonight, the Spurs enter as 3.5-point favorites and hold -155 odds on the moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Hawks hold +130 odds of winning outright with the game total set at 238.5 points.
This article will provide a preview and prediction for the Friday night matchup.
Spurs at Hawks Preview
The Spurs are off to a 19-7 start to the season, which slots them at fourth place in the Western Conference. They fell short to the New York Knicks in the NBA Cup on Tuesday, but bounced back with a victory over the Wizards last night, and have won four of their last five. The Spurs are 14-11-2 against the spread, and the over has cashed in 15 of their 27 games this season.
San Antonio ranks sixth in the league in scoring at 119.7 points per game. It ranks eighth in field goal percentage, eighth in three-point percentage, seventh in offensive rating and ninth in rebounds per game. Defensively, opponents are scoring 114.3 points per game against the Spurs, which ranks ninth in the league. They rank 15th in opponent field goal percentage, 23rd in opponent three-point percentage, and 11th in defensive rating.
Victor Wembanyama continues to shine as the best player on the floor on nearly a nightly basis. Across his 14 games played, the former No. 1 overall pick is averaging 25.1 points, 12.3 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game. De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper round out what is likely the best guard trio in the league, with each player’s skillset making a strong impact. Devin Vassell and Harrison Barnes have been near-perfect three-and-D style of players, and are shooting 39.9% and 40.0% from beyond the three-point arc, respectively. Julian Champagnie, Luke Kornet, Keldon Johnson and Jeremy Sochan round out the squad’s notable depth.
The Hawks hold a 15-13 record on the season, which slots them at ninth place in the Eastern Conference. They have struggled to find consistency, and enter this matchup having dropped five of their last seven games. Atlanta is 14-14 against the spread this year, and the over has cashed in 17 of their 28 games.
The Hawks rank 13th in the league in scoring, pouring in 118.3 points per game. They rank seventh in team field goal percentage, seventh in three-point percentage and 12th in defensive rating. Defensively, opponents are scoring 118.0 points per game against them, which is the 22nd-best rate in the league. Atlanta ranks 16th in opponent field goal percentage allowed, 13th in opponent three-point percentage and 16th in defensive rating.
Jalen Johnson’s emergence has been a major storyline this year, with the former Duke product averaging a team-high 23.6 points per game, along with 10.5 rebounds and 8.2 assists. Nickeil Alexander-Walker has flourished in his new location, pouring in 20.7 points per game and shooting 39.4% from beyond the three-point arc. Trae Young has battled injuries this year, but made his return to the court last night against the Hornets. Young will miss tonight’s matchup with right knee injury management, while Kristaps Porzingis also remains sidelined. Onyeka Okongwu, Dyson Daniels, Zaccharie Risacher and Vit Krejci are the other names to know.
Spurs at Hawks Prediction, Best Bet
This is the first matchup between these two teams this season. Trae Young’s absence is noteworthy and is growing into a larger storyline as the season progresses. Atlanta has a different look without him, leaning more on a defensive mindset and strong athleticism rather than catering to Young’s heliocentric offensive demands. So far this year, the Hawks are 2-4 in games that Young has played and 13-9 without him.
Regardless of Young’s availability status, this is a challenge that I do not believe Atlanta is up for. The Spurs have played themselves into the contending conversation this season and look like one of the best teams in basketball. Victor Wembanyama is a living cheat code and is still making quite the impact despite his limited minutes. He has clocked 20:39 and 17:18 of game time in his two games back, but still tallied averages of 18.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.0 blocks while posting a combined +35 plus/minus.
San Antonio has surrounded him with high level ball-handlers and shooters to maximize his skillset. De’Aaron Fox has begun to find his stride with the Spurs, while Reigning Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle plays with an infectious relentlessness to his game that stands out. Third-overall pick Dylan Harper already plays like a seasoned vet and the Spurs have adequate shooting to space the floor.
While you can pencil a Defensive Player of the Year award next to Victor Wembanyama for just about every season in his career that he will reach the 65-game requirement, it has been the Spurs’ offense that has greatly stood out in the early parts of 2025-26. In Atlanta, there is an internal battle for the future direction of the roster, and it has weighed down the team’s current results. Jalen Johnson has looked like a franchise centerpiece, but the Hawks need more around him. Expect Wembanyama’s two-way brilliance to provide game-changing flashes and for the dribble penetration of the Spurs’ guard rotation to cause problems throughout.
I am backing the Spurs to get the victory and cover the 3.5-point spread. Atlanta is in a bit of a rut, losing five of their past seven games, and the Spurs are a great matchup to further its struggles.
