Tipping off as part of tonight’s 12-game NBA slate, the Atlanta Hawks will be squaring off with the Detroit Pistons.
This will mark the fourth and final matchup between these two Eastern Conference opponents. The Pistons have picked up victories in all three matchups between these two sides to this point, but this is a game that holds some additional weight with the season winding down. Detroit maintains the top spot in the Eastern Conference and has clinched a playoff seed, while Atlanta currently holds the sixth seed and is fighting off a push from the play-in teams behind them.
Looking at the odds for tonight, the Pistons are 2.5-point favorites and hold -155 odds of winning outright on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Hawks hold +130 odds of winning outright, with the game total set at 229.5 points.
Hawks vs. Pistons preview
The Atlanta Hawks have been one of the better surprises this NBA season. They hold a 40-32 overall record and sit in sixth place in the Eastern Conference. This is all while pulling the plug on the Trae Young era midseason. The Hawks enter this matchup having won 13 of their last 14 games. Atlanta has gone 39-33 against the spread this season, and the game total is exactly 36-36 to the over/under.
Jalen Johnson is listed as questionable for tonight’s matchup with a shoulder injury and has missed back-to-back matchups leading into tonight. The Duke product made an All-Star leap this season, posting averages of 22.7 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 8.0 assists per game. Jonathan Kuminga has shown some encouraging flashes across his first eight games with the organization, posting averages of 13.4 points and 6.8 rebounds. Nickeil Alexander-Walker has also benefited from playing with some additional freedom, adding 20.4 points and 3.7 assists per game. CJ McCollum, Dyson Daniels, Onyeka Okongwu and Corey Kispert each also play important roles.
As a team, the Hawks are scoring 118.2 points per game, which ranks seventh in the league. They also rank 14th in offensive rating, 13th in field-goal percentage and sixth in three-point percentage. Defensively, opponents are scoring 116.4 points per game against the Hawks, which ranks 18th in the league. Atlanta also ranks 10th in defensive rating, 18th in opponent field-goal percentage and 16th in opponent three-point percentage.
The Detroit Pistons have maintained their spot at the top of the Eastern Conference all season, with a 52-19 record on the year. They enter this matchup on a four-game winning streak and have won seven of their last eight. On the season, the Pistons have gone 36-35 against the spread, and the game total has remained under in 40 of their 71 games.
Unfortunately, the Pistons are battling some turbulence in the home stretch with superstar Cade Cunningham suffering a collapsed lung to put the future of his season in doubt. Marcus Sasser and Isaiah Stewart will also be sidelined tonight, while Javonte Green is questionable and Jalen Duren is probable. Duren made a leap this season alongside Cunningham, earning his first All-Star appearance with averages of 19.2 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. Tobias Harris has provided some solid stability with averages of 13.1 points and 5.2 rebounds this year, and Daniss Jenkins has seen his role grow following Cunningham’s injury. Ausar Thompson, Duncan Robinson, Ron Holland, Paul Reed, and Kevin Huerter also play notable roles.
J.B. Bickerstaff’s squad is averaging 117.3 points per game this season, which ranks ninth in the league. Detroit also ranks ninth in offensive rating, seventh in field goal percentage, and 22nd in three-point percentage. Defensively, opponents are scoring the third-fewest points per game against the Pistons at 109.5 points per game. They also rank second in defensive rating, third in opponents’ field goal percentage, and fourth in opponents’ three-point percentage.
Hawks vs. Pistons prediction, pick
The Pistons have had the Hawks’ number this season, but their outlook has shifted without Cunningham on the floor. At full strength, Detroit has earned the right to be discussed as a comfortable favorite in this matchup. But the Cunningham injury is a major deal in how the Pistons should be discussed. Detroit lacks offensive creators outside of Cunningham. Taking their clear top option away limits their offensive output in a major way. The Pistons are 3-0 since the lung injury occurred, but these victories have come against the Wizards, Warriors, and Lakers.
It is fair to point to there are some similar concerns with this outlook for this Hawks team, given the questionable status of Jalen Johnson. But it felt as if the All-Star was truly questionable in each of the past two games he missed, and there will be some additional pressure to play tonight. The Hawks remain in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, but the 76ers are one game behind, and the Magic, Heat, and Hornets are each two full games back. Atlanta is also a half-game behind the Raptors for the fifth seed, with the standings watch in full swing.
The biggest point in favor of this Hawks team is their ability to match the Pistons’ physicality. Detroit has built an identity as tougher and more physical than just about every team in the league. In a somewhat similar mindset, Atlanta has committed to loading their roster with high-level athletes. This was a clear priority at the deadline, and the results of this have been impressive. Expect this to be a factor as the Hawks’ athletes match the Pistons on the boards and defensively.
Detroit has not felt the absence of Cunningham to this point, but this is the first matchup in which the opponent is fully capable of exposing their lack of creation. Expect the Hawks to control this game with their defense and make it impossible for the Pistons to put up points at a high rate. With better health luck, the team is in good form, and this is an important matchup in the standings- expect a clear effort from this Hawks team to pull off the outright upset on the road.
