You know a storm is wild when it’s impacting start times all the way down in Atlanta.
Originally slated for a 7:30 p.m. ET start, today’s tilt between the Pacers and the Hawks will now get going this afternoon at 1:30 p.m. ET. Who doesn’t love a little matinee basketball game, right?
Let’s preview this Eastern Conference matchup with the help of some of some odds and lines on the DraftKings Sportsbook.
Pacers at Hawks prediction, preview
It has been a tumultuous season for the Pacers, but the team comes into Monday’s action riding high, having defeated the reigning NBA Champions on their home floor back on Friday. The win was not only the fifth in Indiana’s past 10 contests, but it allowed the Pacers to leapfrog the Wizards and escape last place in the East. Andrew Nembhard led the way with a 27 points and 11 assists, yet Jarace Walker’s 26 points may have been the most encouraging development. The former eighth-overall pick has struggled to consistently score the basketball in his third year, shooting a paltry 38.1% from the field. That said, Walker’s been much better in January, averaging 11.3 points per game and making 25 of his 49 attempts from beyond the arc in the month — that’s a 51.0% clip.
It’s a small victory in what will end up being a lost season of Indiana basketball. The squad has simply found it impossible to generate offense without Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles), and that’s illustrated by the fact that the Pacers own the league’s worst offensive rating (108.0). Even in this recent stretch of .500 play, it’s been Indiana’s defense that has stepped up. In their last 10 games, the Pacers have only surrendered 111.5 opponent points per 100 possessions, which ranks just outside the NBA’s top 10.
Ironically, it’s the Hawks that are keeping Indiana outside of the club, as Atlanta has conceded 111.3 opponent points per 100 possessions in its past 10 contests. However, much like the Pacers, the Hawks are being held back by their inability to light up the scoreboard. Since trading away Trae Young on January 9, Atlanta is 4-4 and in possession of a modest 110.6 offensive rating — the 25th-best figure in basketball across that same span.
While the decision to trade Young will be debated in Georgia for years to come, it is clear that the Hawks are now Jalen Johnson’s team. Johnson comes into this afternoon’s tilt averaging 23.2 points, 10.5 rebounds and 8.0 assists a night. Without a doubt, the fifth-year forward will be named to his first All-Star team at the end of the week, and the 24-year-old is deserving of every accolade he receives. He’s also recently picked up his play after a slight slump in mid-January. Heck, in Atlanta’s 110-103 victory over the Suns on Friday, Johnson registered 23 points and 18 rebounds. In his last three starts, he’s producing 27.7 points, 16.3 rebounds and 7.7 assists. Pretty jaw-dropping stuff from a statistical sense.
Pacers at Hawks pick, best bet
Best Bet: Under 233.5 (-108)
Not only are these two of the least-efficient offenses of 2026, but I expect this rare afternoon tip-off time to cause some sloppy play in at least the first-half of this contest. 63.0% of Indiana’s games have hit the under this season — the highest rate in the NBA.
