The Hawks went from their worst defensive game of the season to their best defensive effort all year, breaking a 10-game losing streak in the process. They’re hosting Brooklyn on Wednesday, and even though Kyrie Irving remains sidelined, the Nets have played well without him — and they’ve owned Atlanta recently.
- Date/Time: December 4, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Arena: State Farm Arena
- TV Coverage: NBATV
- Sportsbook Odds: Brooklyn -1 | O/U 223
- Nets vs Hawks Matchup Report
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
The Nets are slight road favorites, in part due to Kyrie Irving’s absence not actually being a detriment as they are 6-3 so far with him out of the lineup, while Atlanta’s only win in its last 11 games came against the last-place Warriors.
Brooklyn News & Notes
Following practice Tuesday, Brooklyn coach Kenny Atkinson said that point guard Kyrie Irving will miss at least two more games, after missing the previous nine contests due to a shoulder injury.
Normally, losing your leading scorer leads to a rough stretch for a team, but it’s been the opposite for the Nets – while they did lose their most recent game to Miami, they have gone 6-3 with Irving sidelined and currently sit at 10-10 on the season.
Stepping up in Irving’s absence has been guard Spencer Dinwiddie. He averaged 17 points per game coming off the bench early in the season, but since starting in place of Irving, he’s averaged 25 points per game, including 29 in Sunday’s loss to the Heat.
He’ll look to continue his high-scoring ways tonight against Atlanta, as the Hawks give up 76.6 points per game to guards — fifth-most in the NBA.
Atlanta News & Notes
After giving up a season-high 158 points in a 47-point loss on Saturday, Atlanta gave up a season-low 79 points Monday in a win over Golden State. The victory snapped a 10-game losing skid and moved the Hawks out of the basement in the NBA standings.
Despite the win, there still isn’t a lot for the Hawks to be happy about. They allow the third-most points per game in the league and have a lack of scoring depth behind Trae Young and his team-leading 28.2 points per game.
Their second-leading scorer, John Collins, is suspended 25 games for violating the anti-drug policy, while De’Andre Hunter and Kevin Huerter, two of their top five scorers, are both unlikely to play due to injury.
The Hawks will be in tough against the Nets on Wednesday, as they have lost five straight to Brooklyn.
Betting Pick: Nets -1
Atlanta may have won its last game with a great defensive effort, but that was against the Warriors, and the Nets are just a tad better. I’ll take Brooklyn to cover.
- The UNDER has hit in 12 of the last 15 games in this matchup.
- Brooklyn is 8-2 ATS in the last 10 games vs Atlanta.
- Atlanta is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games.
