NBA Picks: New Orleans Hornets at Atlanta Hawks
Written by Steve Janus - Google +
The New Orleans Hornets will go for their seventh straight win Friday night when they take on the Atlanta Hawks, who have won four in row themselves. Tip-off is set for 7:30 ET at Philips Arena.
Taking a look at the NBA spreads for tonight’s game, oddsmakers have the Hawks favored by 4-points over the Hornets with the total set at 191. Find out if any of our experts put a play on this game in our NBA free picks section.
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The Hornets six game winning streak hasn’t been the easiest. New Orleans has trailed at halftime in three of their last four games, and have needed overtime to win three of their last five, including Wednesday night against the Grizzlies. The Hornets trailed by 15 points in the third quarter, but were able to force extra time and win the game 103-102.
Chris Paul led the charge with 20 points and 12 assists, David West added 19 points and 11 rebounds, and Marcus Thornton scored 17 points off the bench in just 22 minutes. Emeka Okafor and Trevor Ariza each had 11 points.
New Orleans has been able to keep this streak going because of their defense. They held the Grizzlies to just 16 points in the third quarter, and just like that a big lead was erased before the fourth quarter even started. The Hornets will need that defense if they are going to win their fourth straight on the road, especially against Atlanta, who are 11-1 in their last 12 games at home.
The Hawks also need overtime to win their most recent game, as they took down the Miami Heat 93-89 at their place. The Heat were without Chris Bosh, but that is still a very impressive win on the road. However the win did come at a slight cost to the Hawks, as Al Horford sprained his ankle in the win, and will like have to sit out at least a couple game.
Joe Johnson led the way against Miami with 19 points and 10 assists, Jamal Crawford came off the bench to also score 19, while Mike Bibby and Josh Smith each had 15 a piece. Horford had just six points before getting hurt, but with Marvin Williams already out with an injury, the Hawks are pretty shorthanded down low. Look for Zaza Pachulia to get some more playing time while Horford is out, but I expect Smith to be a little more aggressive, knowing his team needs him to step up his game.
Even with Horford out, I think the Hawks are the right play in this game. Atlanta is playing at home on two days rest, and the Hornets just aren’t going to continue to win games by falling behind big early. The Hawks will also be looking to get some revenge against the Hornets, who beat them 93-86 back on Dec. 26.
For more help with who to take, check out our NBA picks for tonight from our expert NBA handicappers.
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