NBA Spreads: Atlanta Hawks at Detroit Pistons
Written by Steve Janus - Google +
The Atlanta Hawks will look to continue their recent surge without all-star Joe Johnson, as they head to the Palace of Auburn Hills to take on the struggling Detroit Pistons. The Hawks have won five of seven without Johnson in the lineup, as he continues to recover from a elbow surgery. Atlanta held off the Indiana Pacers for a 97-83 four their fourth consecutive win at home. The Pistons come into the game off a heartbreaking loss to the Toronto Raptors. Detroit was up as many as 25 points in the third quarter, but were outscored 37-17 in the fourth for 120-116 home loss. It was the Pistons fourth straight loss and eighth in their last nine games. If you are thinking about placing a wager on this game, the current NBA spreads have the Hawks favored by 4.5-points over the Pistons at home.
Looking for a great place to do your NBA betting this season? Sports Interaction is offering our readers a 100% sign-up bonus on your initial deposit!
After a bit of a rough stretch the Hawks are really starting to play some solid basketball, as they have won 8 of their last 10, and have thrived against teams who are under .500 on the season. Atlanta is 11-3 against teams with a losing record, but have had their struggles with the Pistons away from home. Atlanta is just 1-9 at Detroit, averaging just 88 points points a game in their last 10 trips to the Palace. The Hawks did beat the Pistons 94-85 at home earlier this season.
Josh Smith had a really nice game against the Pistons earlier this season, leading the way with 22 points, 11 rebounds and four assists. The Hawks will need another strong performance from Smith tonight. Also look for Jamal Crawford and Al Horford to both step up big. Crawford has scored at least 20 points in three straight games, and Horford had 16 points, 16 rebounds, and eight assists against the Pacers.
Detroit is really struggling to much of anything right now, and it will be interesting to see how the team responds after such a tough loss. The Pistons have lost three of their last four at home, and are just 5-6 on the season. While the Pistons have done a good job defensively against the Hawks in the past, that might not be the case tonight. Detroit comes in allowing 104 points a game at home, and are allowing opposing teams to shoot just over 48% from the field. If the Pistons don’t turn the defense up tonight, this game is going to be a blowout.
Ben Gordon led Detroit with 22 points against the Hawks back on Nov. 3, but was just one of three players to score in double figures. Gordon is averaging just 10.6 points over his last five games, and if he doesn’t have it going tonight, the Pistons are in big trouble.
Need some help with who to take in this game? Check out our expert NBA picks from some of the top handicappers in the business.
Got something to say?
