An all-important game between two Eastern Conference rivals is set to commence at Philips Arena this evening, as the Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks go head-to-head for the second time this season. Both clubs really need a win here in order to maintain hold of their respective positions in the conference standings.
Can the Cavaliers continue hanging on to the No. 1 spot? Or will the Hawks strengthen their grip of the third seed? Continue reading on below for more information about this intriguing showdown.
For more NBA action, click here for our preview of another crucial bout between the Toronto Raptors and Memphis Grizzlies.
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Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Atlanta Hawks Betting Preview
LeBron James reminded the basketball world why he is who he is in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ dominant 20-point victory over the visiting Nets last night.
[sc:NBA250 ]James flirted with a triple-double by putting up a game-high 24 points, grabbing four rebounds and dishing out 11 dimes. Making that game more special was this bucket that allowed him to surpass the great Dominique Wilkins for the No. 12 spot in the NBA’s all-time scoring list. And obviously, he’s bound to continue climbing up that prestigious list.
Moving on, James and co. will now look to build on their momentum, when they go on the road for a crucial clash with the Atlanta Hawks tonight. A win here for the Cavs, in particular, will put them a step closer in securing the top spot in the Eastern Conference.
Of course, getting a win over this well-balanced Atlanta team, that’s racking up 102.9 points and surrendering 99.0 points per game this season, is no easy task. But so long as James remains dominant and also receives enough support from his fellow star-teammates in Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, things should be fine for the Cavs.
Irving heads into Philips Arena averaging 19.7 points with 4.6 assists across 47 regular-season games. His mental state, though, is a reason to worry about as the former No. 1 draft pick is dealing with a broken heart.
Love, meanwhile, has had another up-and-down season to say the least. Fortunately, he seems to have found some consistently lately as he’ll be gunning for his sixth-consecutive double-double output in this bout with Atlanta. Love is posting 19.0 points on 47.9 percent shooting along with 11.0 rebounds in the past five outings.
Cleveland is 5-5 SU and 4-6 ATS in its last 10 road games.
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Betting on the Atlanta Hawks (45-31)
Prior to the loss to Toronto on Wednesday night, the Atlanta Hawks have won nine of their previous 10 games. In that span, they’ve been clicking from all cylinders, averaging almost 108.1 points per contest and the pair of Jeff Teague and Paul Millsap can definitely attest to this success.
Teague has been racking up not just the points, but the dimes as well. He’s racking up 18.5 points on 44.3% shooting along with 7.0 assists in the past four games. Teague’s also shot the ball pretty well lately, going 17-of-31 (54.8%) in the last two outings.
Millsap, on the other hand, has been able to score in double-figures in nine of his past 10 contests, which includes a 23-point and 9-rebound effort in the win over Detroit last week. Overall this season, Millsap leads the team in points with 17.0 per game and has accumulated 27 double-doubles, among the highest in the league.
However, defense is going to be the deciding-factor for the Hawks in this showdown against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavaliers boast three superstars in the aforementioned James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. And just by reading those names, many opposing squads can’t help but feel a little intimidated.
The Hawks won’t be one of those teams, though. Defense has been one of their strongest assets, as they are currently giving up just 99.0 points this season, the sixth-lowest in the NBA. Also, the Southeast Division-leaders are actually a bit more tenacious on this side of the floor, yielding just 97.6 points (3rd-fewest).
Atlanta is 7-3 SU and 6-4 ATS in its previous 10 games at Philips Arena.
