trae-young-usatsi-hawks.jpg
USATSI

Cleveland and Atlanta will both be trying to stave off elimination when they face each other in the NBA Eastern Conference play-in tournament on Friday night. The Cavaliers were unable to pull off an upset at Brooklyn on Tuesday in their first play-in game. Atlanta booked its spot in Friday's tilt with a 132-103 win over Charlotte on Wednesday. Bogdan Bogdanovic (ankle) is listed as questionable for the Hawks, and Jarrett Allen (finger) is questionable for Cleveland. John Collins (finger/foot) and Lou Williams (back) are out for Atlanta.

Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET from Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. Atlanta is listed as a two-point favorite in the latest Hawks vs. Cavaliers odds from Caesars Sportsbook, with the over-under set at 223. Before making any Cavaliers vs. Hawks picks, you need to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's advanced computer model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past three-plus seasons. The model enters the 2022 NBA playoffs on a stunning 85-55 roll on all top-rated NBA picks, returning almost $2,400. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Hawks vs. Cavs, and just locked in its picks and NBA predictions. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Now, here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Cavs vs. Hawks:

  • Hawks vs. Cavaliers spread: Hawks -2 
  • Hawks vs. Cavaliers over-under: 223 points 
  • Hawks vs. Cavaliers money line: Hawks -135, Cavaliers +115
  • ATL: The Hawks are 14-27 against the spread in road games 
  • CLE: The Cavaliers are 22-17-2 against the spread in home games

Why the Hawks can cover

Atlanta not only won each of the last three matchups between these teams, but it is also in excellent form heading into this contest. The Hawks blew out Charlotte on Wednesday night, as six players scored in double figures. They are averaging 123.9 points per game over their last 10 games, which is up almost 10 points from their season average (114.2).

Star guard Trae Young is averaging 29.4 points and 11.2 assists in his last 10 games. He stepped up even more against Cleveland this year, averaging 32.5 points in the four meetings. The Hawks have covered the spread in eight of their last 10 games, while Cleveland has only covered four times in its last 13 games. 

Why the Cavaliers can cover

Cleveland is excellent on defense, and this is also a friendly matchup for the Cavaliers on offense. The Cavs rank in the top five of the NBA in defensive efficiency, giving up fewer than 1.09 points per possession. Cleveland is in the top five of the league in 2-point defense and second-chance points allowed, with the No. 2 mark in free throw attempts allowed (19.4 per game). The Cavaliers are also above-average in field goal percentage allowed, assists allowed and points allowed in the paint. 

On the other end, the Cavaliers land above the NBA average in points in the paint, free throw attempts, offensive rebound rate, assists, assist percentage and field goal percentage. Atlanta ranks in the bottom five of the NBA in defensive efficiency, yielding 113.7 points per 100 possessions. The Hawks are No. 25 in the league in 3-point defense and and No. 27 in the league in turnover creation, with the Cavs set to lean on Darius Garland, who is averaging 21.7 points and 8.6 assists per game this season.

How to make Hawks vs. Cavaliers picks

SportsLine's model is leaning under on the total, projecting 222 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in well over 60 percent of simulations. You can only see the model's Cavs vs. Hawks pick at SportsLine.

So who wins Hawks vs. Cavaliers? And which side of the spread hits in well over 60 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Hawks vs. Cavaliers spread you need to jump on Friday, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks, and find out.