It’s an NBA Cup night, bringing colorful courts and additional stakes to Friday night’s schedule. The Wizards and Hawks are set to square off in East Group C, where Washington sits atop the standings while Atlanta is yet to play its first matchup of the group stage. The injury report does loom large over this game with both Anthony Davis and Jalen Johnson questionable to play, but either way, both of these teams are playing competitive basketball this season and should leave it all on the floor here.
Read on for a full preview, prediction and pick for Friday’s Wizards vs. Hawks matchup, courtesy of odds on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Wizards vs. Hawks prediction, preview
The Wizards are 4-4 already, and while the schedule they’ve played hasn’t been too tough, there are still clear signs of progress from this team. The defense genuinely looks improved, allowing 109.0 PPG and ranking 11th in DEFRTG. The unit has held opponents to the second-lowest FG% and 3P% in the league, and they’re seventh in blocks per game with 5.8 as well. Now, this isn’t a flawless team by any means. They’re not nearly as impressive on offense with 108.9 PPG and the 21st-ranked OFFRTG – while the Wizards are seventh in FG% at 47.6%, a 29.4% 3P% is the NBA’s second-worst mark and they’re last in threes made per game. They’re also 26th in rebounding with 41.0 boards a night. Still, there are reasons for fans to feel encouraged at 19th in NETRTG, even if it’s -0.1 – a huge swing from last year’s 30th-ranked -11.8.
Anthony Davis leads this roster with 23.4 points and 9.3 rebounds per game, but he’s questionable with an ankle sprain. However, there are other standouts who can pick up the slack if he misses. No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa is posting 16.5 points and 5.0 rebounds through the first four games of his career, settling in nicely. Trae Young’s 9.5 assists per game are an NBA-high tally, also scoring 19.6 points a night. Kyshawn George’s 17.3 PPG are also a career high while shooting 51.5% from the field. Other young players like Alex Sarr, Tre Johnson and Bilal Coulibaly have also shown promise.
The Hawks are more established than the Wizards are, coming off a playoff appearance even after pivoting midseason and trading Young to this very Washington team. They’re 5-4 at the moment and are 13th in NETRTG across the league at +2.7. This team plays an up-tempo style at fourth in pace that has them overwhelming opponents through sheer volume, sitting top four in total shots and threes per game – which also allows them to overcome middling efficiency at a 44.5% FG% and 35.1% 3P%. However, Atlanta’s ball movement stands out with an NBA-best 31.0 assists per game, also keeping turnovers down. Overall, the Hawks are 12th in scoring with 115.8 PPG and 15th in OFFRTG. On the other side of the ball, they’re allowing 113.0 PPG and are eighth in DEFRTG, sitting 12th in rebounds per game with 44.7 and sixth in steals with 9.7. They struggle to defend inside the arc, but the 30.2% 3P% they allow is the third lowest in the league.
For Atlanta, Jalen Johnson is at the center of the production, though he’s questionable with his own ankle sprain. His 18.3 points rank second on the team while leading the roster with 9.0 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game. Nickeil Alexander-Walker paces the team with 21.7 PPG, with CJ McCollum also providing complementary scoring in the backcourt with 14.3 PPG. Aaron Wiggins looks excellent in his first season with the squad, averaging 13.9 PPG, while Onyeka Okongwu pitches in 12.2 points and 8.4 boards. Dyson Daniels, Luguentz Dort and Kingston Flemings play complementary roles.
Wizards vs. Hawks pick, best bet
DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Hawks as a 7.5-point favorite at home tonight with -297 odds on the Moneyline. The Wizards are a +241 underdog to win outright on the road with the total set at 228.5 combined points.
The status of Davis and Johnson will almost certainly swing this matchup, though it should be noted end-of-rotation names like Justin Champagnie for Washington and Atlanta’s Jock Landale and Asa Newell are all ruled out tonight.
In a vacuum, the Hawks do have an advantage based on NETRTG, their rebounding and their general experience with a more veteran roster. They’re a very disruptive defense and should be able to force the Wizards’ younger players into making plenty of mistakes. These teams just met back on Wednesday, a game which Atlanta took 120-105 while dominating the offensive glass. Notably, the Hawks didn’t have Johnson available in that game either but overcame his absence, while Davis did suit up for the opposition and wasn’t enough to power an upset. So while the outlook is murky with both stars’ statuses in question, we’ve already seen an avenue in which Atlanta can be shorthanded and still emerge with a win.
With that in mind, I’d prefer to take the Hawks to cover in this spot at home. If they could win by 15 last time out on the road without their star, they should be able to get the job done again tonight on their own floor.
