The Atlanta Hawks are battling to improve their playoff standing but they face a desperate opponent when they host the Washington Wizards on Monday. The Hawks are among a cluster of teams that can finish from anywhere from fourth to seventh place in the Eastern Conference with four regular-season games remaining. While Atlanta (37-31) is one game behind the New York Knicks for fourth place and tied with Miami for fifth, the resurgent Wizards (32-36) have vaulted into ninth place on the heels of a 13-3 run, but they will be without leading scorer Bradley Beal (hamstring) for at least the next two games.
Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. ET at State Farm Arena. The latest Wizards vs. Hawks odds from William Hill Sportsbook list Atlanta as an eight-point favorite, up 1.5 points from the opening line. The over-under for total points is set at 237.5. Before making any Hawks vs. Wizards picks, be sure to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned over $9,200 in profit on its top-rated NBA picks over the past two-plus seasons. The model is up over $1,200 on its top-rated picks this season and entered Week 20 of the 2020-21 NBA schedule on a stunning 97-62 roll on top-rated NBA picks against the spread dating back to last season. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Wizards vs. Hawks. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Now, here are several NBA odds and betting trends for Hawks vs. Wizards:
- Wizards vs. Hawks spread: Hawks -8
- Wizards vs. Hawks over-under: 237.5 points
- Wizards vs. Hawks money line: Hawks -345, Wizards +285
- WAS: The Wizards are 16-5 ATS as a road underdog
- ATL: The Hawks rank third in the NBA, holding foes to 35.0 percent 3-point shooting
Why the Wizards can cover
Washington must fill a massive offensive void left by the injury to Beal, who scored 50 points Saturday and is averaging 35.0 over five games this month. That will put even more of an onus on backcourt mate Russell Westbrook, who is coming off a monster effort with 33 points, 19 rebounds and 15 assists. It marked the 35th triple-double of the season for Westbrook, who tied Oscar Robertson's all-time NBA record with the 181st of his career.
Westbrook has seven triple-doubles in the last eight games, a span in which he is averaging 23.3 points, 15.3 rebounds and 15.1 assists. The Wizards got a lift when forward Rui Hachimura returned to the lineup Saturday and scored 13 points after sitting out the previous two games with a non-COVID-related illness. Hachimura has scored in double figures in six consecutive games and is averaging 19.3 points over his last three contests.
Why the Hawks can cover
Atlanta has won seven in a row at State Farm Arena and among its victims have been a number of teams in the playoff hunt, including Phoenix, Milwaukee, Portland and Miami. Leading scorer Trae Young recorded his third consecutive double-double with 30 points and 10 assists in Thursday's loss at Indiana. It marked the third 30-point outing in five games for Young, who poured in 41 points in a 110-100 victory at Washington on Jan. 29.
Bogdan Bogdanovic is fourth on the team in scoring with an average of 15.8 points, but he has eclipsed 20 in 14 of the past 20 games, including 28 against Indiana. He has been lighting it up from behind the arc, connecting on 6 of 11 3-point attempts Thursday and 17 of 30 over the past three games. De'Andre Hunter, who has appeared in two games since injuring his knee vs. the Wizards in January, is listed as questionable to return Monday.
How to make Wizards vs. Hawks picks
SportsLine's model is leaning under on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 229 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits well over 60 percent of the time. You can get that pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Wizards vs. Hawks? And which side of the spread hits well over 60 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that is on a roll on NBA picks.
