With Jeff Teague repeatedly puncturing the Indiana Pacers’ defense, the no. 8 Atlanta Hawks dealt the no. 1 Indiana Pacers a big loss in Game 1 of their series. Is a loss against a huge underdog in the playoffs all the Pacers need to finally break out of their slump, or will the Hawks score one more upset on the road and head back home for Game 3 clutching a 2-0 series lead?
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[sc:NBAArticles ]Atlanta Hawks vs. Indiana Pacers Round 1, Game 2 Betting Preview
Series Schedule & Results
Game 1 – April 19, Atlanta 101 Indiana 93
Game 2 – April 22, 7:00PM ET, Atlanta (+7) at Indiana (-7); total 187.0 – view all NBA lines
Game 3 – April 24, 7:00PM ET, Indiana at Atlanta
Game 4 – April 26, 2:00PM ET, Indiana at Atlanta
Game 5– April 28, 8:00 PM ET, Atlanta at Indiana
Game 6 (if necessary) – May 1, Toronto at Brooklyn
Game 7 (if necessary) – May 3, Atlanta at Indiana
Betting on the Atlanta Hawks
[sc:NBA240banner ]Arguably the team with the worst matchup in the Playoffs, the No. 8 Atlanta Hawks defied all odds and beat the No.1 Indiana Pacers on the road in Game 1, 101-93. The Hawks are now 5-1 SU and 6-0 ATS in their last six games.
It was also the Hawks’ second win in Indiana in a month; they beat the Pacers in lopsided fashion, 107-88, back on April 4th.
Jeff Teague was dominant in Game 1, slicing through the No. 2-ranked defense of Indiana and almost scoring at will. He scored 20 of his 28-points by driving to the basket, mostly without Roy Hibbert bothering his shots. Hibbert was forced to guard Pero Antic, a big man with a deft touch from the outside, therefore loosening the Pacers’ defense.
With Kyle Korver running around the screens for scoring opportunities and Antic forcing Hibbert out of the paint, the Hawks have developed a blueprint to beat the Pacers. In Game 2, they will again look to keep the Pacers’ defense in disarray with Paul Millsap (25 points, eight rebounds in Game 1) and Jeff Teague taking advantage of Indiana’s suddenly-susceptible defense.
Betting on the Indiana Pacers
The Pacers’ struggles are no longer a thing of the regular season. After their Game 1 loss to the Hawks, it’s clear that Indiana has yet to fix what’s wrong with the club. The team is now 6-4 SU and just 2-8 ATS in their last 10 home games.
Apart from Paul George’ emergence as a superstar and the rapid improvement of Lance Stephenson, the Pacers were successful last year because of Roy Hibbert. However, the All-Star big man is mired in a slump that has undoubtedly hurt his team. Hibbert is only averaging 6.8 PPG (61 points total) on an atrocious 27.2% shooting in the last 10 games.
It has been pointed out repeatedly by so many pundits but it bears repeating: the Pacers need to improve their offense. Indiana is scoring just 96.2 PPG over the last five games. By comparison, the Hawks have poured in 100 PPG during the same stretch.
Writer’s Prediction
Atlanta’s win in Game 1 is no anomaly. Sure the Pacers are struggling, but the Hawks are playing good basketball, too. The Pacers are still the favorite to win the series and should win Game 2, but take the Hawks to cover +7.
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