The Atlanta Hawks (18-16) and Los Angeles Lakers (19-14) will square off in the NBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 10:30 p.m. ET from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The game will broadcast live on NBA TV.
The Lakers are 3-point favorites over the Hawks on the spread, with the over/under set at 231.5 total points. Los Angeles is a -148 favorite to win outright, while Atlanta is +124 to pull off the upset.
Let's get to my Hawks vs. Lakers predictions and NBA picks for Friday night.
Hawks vs. Lakers Prediction, Picks
Spread
With the Lakers tagged as short home favorites in tonight's contest, I will not be betting either side of the spread.
Over/Under
My Lakers vs. Hawks best bet is Austin Reaves Over 13.5 Rebounds + Assists, which isn't exactly a total prediction, but it does correlate with the Over. The best line is currently available at FanDuel, but as always, make sure to shop for the best line using our live NBA odds page.
My Pick: Austin Reaves Over 13.5 Rebounds + Assists (+112)
Hawks vs. Lakers Odds, Spread, Over/Under
| Hawks Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+3 -110 | 231.5 -110 / -110 | +124 |
| Lakers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-3 -110 | 231.5 -110 / -110 | -148 |
- Hawks vs. Lakers spread: Lakers -3
- Hawks vs. Lakers over/under: 231.5 total points
- Hawks vs. Lakers moneyline: Hawks +124, Lakers -148
- Hawks vs. Lakers best bet: Austin Reaves Over 13.5 Rebounds + Assists
Atlanta Hawks vs. Los Angeles Lakers Preview
Last night, the Lakers defeated the Trail Blazers by a score of 114-106 to improve to 2-1 on their homestand. Tonight, they welcome the Hawks to Crypto.com Arena to complete their homestand before a quick road trip to Texas.
In the first meeting of the season between these teams, the Hawks defeated the Lakers 134-132 in overtime. LeBron James and Anthony Davis combined for 77 points, 20 rebounds, and 19 assists in the loss.
Tonight, however, James may be without his All-Star running mate after Davis missed last night's game with an ankle injury.
As of this writing, the Lakers have not submitted an injury report. If Davis can't go again tonight, expect Austin Reaves to pick up the slack.
On Christmas, he recorded a triple-double with 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists against the Warriors.
Since, he has narrowly missed two more triple-doubles with nine rebounds and 10 assists on Tuesday against Cleveland, and eight rebounds and 11 assists last night against Portland.
Reaves is averaging 25.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 11.7 assists over his past four games.
Meanwhile, the Hawks may be without a key piece as well if Jalen Johnson can't go again. He missed Wednesday's game with a shoulder injury and the Hawks fell 139-120 to the Nuggets. Johnson is listed as questionable for tonight's game.
The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for the Hawks as they currently hold the seventh in the Eastern Conference. The Hawks have won 10 of their last 15 games, despite ranking outside the top 10 in offensive rating (13th) and defensive rating (11th) in that span.
However, when the Hawks are involved, you can typically expect a lot of points. The average Hawks game this season has had 237.3 points and tonight's total sits at 232 points.
Trae Young leads the Hawks attack, averaging 22.3 points and 12 assists per game. Over his last seven games, he has averaged to 25.8 points and 11.4 assists. However, he is also questionable for tonight's game with a hand injury.
That means even more might be asked of sixth man DeAndre Hunter, who is averaging 20.6 points and 4.1 rebounds per game this season.
Hunter has averaged 22.4 points over his last 13 games. He has been prolific from deep, averaging 3.1 made 3s and shooting 49.4% over that span as well. Currently, Hunter's props are not available, but I would expect his line to be around 20.5 points.
Hawks vs. Lakers Best Bets, Predictions
Austin Reaves has had 10 assists in each of his past four games. Three of those games coincide with the trade of D'Angelo Russell. Reaves also has eight rebounds in three of his past four games. If Davis remains out, he will be needed to contribute on the glass even more.
With that in mind, I am targeting Reaves to go over 13.5 rebounds + assists tonight. He has cleared this line with at least 19 combined in each of his past four games.
This game should be played at a fast pace, as the Hawks rank second in pace this season. That will give Reaves more possessions to reach this line as well, with more assist-opportunities in transition. The Hawks are also 27th in assists allowed this season
A fast pace should also help this game get over the total. The last seven meetings between these teams have gone over and averaged 252 points in those games.
James has scored 25 points in six of his last nine games. He is coming off a 38-point game last night against Portland and also had 39 in his last game against Atlanta.
It will be the second night of a back-to-back for the now 40-year-old star, but if Davis is out tonight, the Lakers will need his scoring even more than usual.
The same goes for Young if he suits up tonight. He has recorded 36 points and assists in six of his last seven games. He has also cleared this line in each of his last six games against the Lakers, averaging 29.8 points and 12.6 assists per game in that span.
Best Bet: Austin Reaves Over 13.5 Rebounds + Assists (+112, FanDuel)
Lakers vs. Hawks Parlay Picks
- Over 232 (-110)
- LeBron James 25+ Points (+110)
- Austin Reaves Over 13.5 Rebounds + Assists (+112)
- Trae Young Over 35.5 Points + Assists (-104)
Parlay Payout: +779
