The Atlanta Hawks suffered a bad loss to a tanking Brooklyn Nets team on Sunday night, and they’re aiming to bounce back on Tuesday against the Charlotte Hornets, who are just 17-50 in the 2024-25 season.
Charlotte lost by 13 to the Hawks back on March 12, and it’s in danger of getting swept 4-0 in the season series in this game.
Oddsmakers have set the Hawks – the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference this season – as the favorite in this matchup. The Hawks and Trae Young have a real chance to make the playoffs through the play-in tournament, which would go a long way since the franchise doesn’t control its first-round pick due to a trade with the San Antonio Spurs.
The Hawks have wins by five, three and 13 against Charlotte this season, but they’re favored – on the road – by 6.5 points in this game.
Here’s a complete breakdown of the odds, players to watch in the prop market and my prediction for this divisional battle.
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.
Spread
Moneyline
Total
I’m buying Hawks big man Onyeka Okongwu with Clint Capela out of the lineup once again on Tuesday.
Okongwu had 15 rebounds on Sunday, and he’s now averaging 9.9 boards per game when Capela doesn’t play, clearing 11.5 boards in five of 13 games. While that isn’t a great rate of clearing this line, Okongwu has a great matchup against a Charlotte team that is 23rd in opponent rebounds per game and ranks dead last in league in effective field goal percentage.
There should be plenty of missed shots for Okongwu to clear up tonight.
Earlier today, I shared in my NBA Best Bets column – Peter’s Points – why I’m backing the Hawks on the road tonight:
Earlier this month, the Atlanta Hawks picked up a 13-point win at home against this Charlotte Hornets team, and I wouldn’t be shocked to see a similar result on Tuesday night.
Charlotte is sitting a bunch of players, including one of its leading scorers in Miles Bridges, which puts it in a tough spot after it scored 88 points in a 35-point loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday.
The Hawks have a fast-paced attack that can put up points in bunches, and I’m not sold on the Charlotte offense (29th in offensive rating, 30th in effective field goal percentage) taking advantage of what has been a below average Atlanta defense this season.
Over their last 10 games, the Hornets are just 26th in the NBA in net rating despite winning three of those matchups. I expect Trae Young and the Hawks to get out in transition and score too much for this Hornets offense to keep pace.
Pick: Hawks -6.5 (-110 at DraftKings)
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Find Peter Dewey’s NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.
Are you new to DraftKings? Sign up today and place a $5 bet to earn a guaranteed $200 in bonus bets. Win or lose, DraftKings will issue six $25 bonus bets instantly.
