Atlanta Hawks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Preview
Where: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland
When: Friday, April 7, 2017, 7:30 PM ET
Line: Atlanta Hawks (+13.5) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (-13.5); total: 212.5 – view all NBA lines
TV Broadcast: NBATV
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Betting on the Atlanta Hawks (50-29)
The Hawks can still get kicked out of the playoff picture but they could get some extra breathing room later tonight when they travel to Cleveland to face the defending champions.
Beating the Cavs in their hometown is going to be easier said than done for Atlanta though the Hawks won in their last trip to Quicken Loans Arena. Dennis Schroder had 28 points while Kent Bazemore contributed 25 points in the Hawks’ 110-106 road win over Cleveland back in Nov. 8. Atlanta shot 50.6 percent from the floor and nailed 11 threes on 29 attempts from deep.
It’s not always going to be like that for Atlanta, which is just 21st in the league in three points made per game and 25th on three-point percentage, so the Hawks can’t just fall in love with the long ball against the Cavs. Nevertheless, the bulk of the offense will fall on the shoulders of Schroder and Millsap.
With Tristan Thompson out for meantime for the Cavs, Atlanta could get some more extra possessions with Dwight Howard and Millsap owning the glass. Howard has 27 rebounds in two meeting with the Cavs thus far this season, while Millsap has 20.
Atlanta is 4-1 ATS in its last four away games.
Betting on the Cleveland Cavaliers (51-27)
Cleveland is getting its moxie back just in time for the playoffs. With a bad stretch seemingly behind them, the Cavs will look to gain more momentum as they sharpen their tools versus the Hawks tonight.
LeBron James doesn’t need any more sharpening, though. The many-time MVP is coming off a monster game, dropping 36 points with 10 rebounds and six assists in Cleveland’s 114-91 butt-kicking of the Celtics in Boston Wednesday. Over his last 10 games, James has averaged 28.0 points on 56.5 percent shooting, 9.4 rebounds, and 8.1 assists. James has long been a boogeyman for the Hawks, who doesn’t seem to have an anti-dote to the Cavs superstar. In the Cavs 135-130 win over Atlanta on Mar. 3, James mocked the Hawks’ defense by scoring 38 points while grabbing 13 rebounds and dishing out eight dimes. Yet James wasn’t even the top scorer for the Cavs with Kyrie Irving unloading 43 points on 14-of-21 shooting from the field.
Cleveland went bonkers from beyond the arc in that game, knocking down 25 threes on 36 attempts (54.7%). The absence of Tristan Thompson adds more range for the Cavs’ starting lineup with Channing Frye expected to start again. Frye had 10 points with two threes in the Boston game.
Cleveland is 7-3 SU/ATS in its last 10 home games against the Hawks.
Writer’s Prediction
Cleveland (-13.5) wins, 124-110.
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