Lakers vs. Hawks Odds, Preview, Prediction: Expect Flurry of Points

Lakers vs. Hawks Odds

Friday features an interconference clash between the Atlanta Hawks and Los Angeles Lakers, both of which have struggled to find the win column and are dealing with injuries.

The Hawks are seven-point home favorites as they are 11-7 at home and just 6-11 on the road. Similarly, the Lakers are 6-13 on the road and searching for a way to get back into the Western Conference playoff picture.

This is a big game for both teams to get back on track and with question marks on the injury report, it makes more sense to attack the total.

Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers are desperate for a victory as they have lost five of their past six games.

Not having Anthony Davis, who ranks second in the league in rebounds and third in blocks, is really making it tough for this Lakers team defensively. Their Defensive Rating has decreased from 112 to 122 in the 10 games Davis has missed this season. Their points allowed also increases to 123.6 per game in Davis' absence.

LeBron James is going back into hero mode to try and keep this Lakers season alive. In his past nine games, James is averaging 32.1 points, 6.9 assists and 6.7 rebounds per game. He's also shooting an absurd 56.7% from the field. He has made 10 or more field goals and shot 50% or better in each of his past nine games.

The Lakers rank second in Pace largely because of how fast Russell Westbrook continues to play. He had a throwback performance in the Lakers last win as he posted his third triple-double of the season with 15 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists. Westbrook leads the Lakers in assists, but continues to have a hard time finding his shot. He is shooting just 40.7% from the field this season.

This is an exploitable matchup for the Lakers as the Hawks may still be without their center, Clint Capela. Even with Capela, the Hawks are allowing the fifth-most points per game in the paint this season (52.5).

Regardless of how well James is playing, it's hard to get behind this Lakers team on the road, especially if the Hawks get healthier. However, Los Angeles is still scoring well and is averaging over two additional points per game without Davis.

Expect a very high-paced, high-scoring game.

Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks have lost three of their past four and are dealing with injuries. Trae Young, Clint Capela and De'Andre Hunter all missed last game. This is the Hawks third game in four nights, but they are still seven-point favorites.

The status of those three Hawks starters is in the air at the time of this writing, but make sure to check their status closer to game time. Capela and Hunter have both been out for two games, while Young only missed the second half of a back-to-back on Wednesday night.

Getting Young back would be a huge upgrade. Young is averaging a career-high 9.9 assists per game, which ranks second in the league. He is also averaging over 25 points per game for the fourth-straight year. Young may be shooting a Westbrook-like 41.4% from the field, but he is still a major threat offensively.

With no Capela on the floor, John Collins has displayed incredible upside. Over the past two games, Collins is averaging 23.5 points and shooting 57.6% from the field and 44.4% from behind the arc. He's also averaged 10 rebounds per game in his past three, while recording at least one block in each game. Collins should be able to feast on a Lakers team without Davis.

The Lakers are allowing 117.6 points per game this season, which ranks as the fourth-highest in the league. They are also allowing 93.8 field goal attempts per game, which is three per game higher than the next closest team. Their Pace is out of control, which should allow the Hawks to get back on track.

Lakers-Hawks Pick

The spread is too dicey to take with so many injury-related question marks. Instead, we'll take the over at 233.5 points. Both teams struggle defensively, but have found ways to score the ball with ease.

Expect the Hawks to do most of the scoring to reach this over as they are attempting 92.4 field goals per game, which ranks as the third-highest in the league. They may not be shooting that well as a team, but the Lakers defense can certainly help with that. Young being able to play would also really help.

The over has hit in 21 of the Lakers 35 games and in 20 of the Hawks 35 games this season. Last season, the over hit in both matchups between these teams.

Let's keep that trend going and bet the over again tonight.

Pick: Over 233.5 | Play to 235.5

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