The Atlanta Hawks travel to Cleveland to take on the Cavaliers on Saturday night at 7:30 PM ET on NBA TV. Can the Hawks cover the 2.5-point spread as road underdogs? Keep reading for our Hawks vs. Cavaliers betting prediction.
The Atlanta Hawks are 10-14 straight up in the regular season this year. They are 6-18 ATS this season.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are 13-12 straight up in the regular season this year. They are 10-13-2 ATS this season.
Hawks vs. Cavaliers Matchup & Betting Odds
553 Atlanta Hawks (+2.5) at 554 Cleveland Cavaliers (-2.5); o/u 239.5
7:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, December 16, 2023
Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse Cleveland, OH
TV: NBA TV
Hawks vs. Cavaliers Public Betting Information
Our NBA Public Betting Information page indicates that 71% of public bettors are currently backing the Cavaliers when it comes to the spread. This information is subject to change throughout the day, however, so be sure to check the link so you’re receiving the most up-to-date public betting data.
Atlanta Hawks Daily Fantasy Spin
Hawks forward Jalen Johnson will sit out Saturday’s game with a broken wrist. Johnson is averaging 14.1 points and 7.3 rebounds per game for Atlanta this season.
Atlanta forwards AJ Griffin (personal) and De’Andre Hunter (knee) have both missed the club’s last two games, and they’re both listed as questionable for Saturday’s contest with Cleveland. Hunter is averaging 14.8 points and 4.2 rebounds per game in 21 starts for the Hawks this year.
Cleveland Cavaliers Daily Fantasy Spin
Cavaliers power forward Evan Mobley needs arthroscopic surgery on his left knee and will be out for 6-8 weeks. Mobley is one of the better young big men in the NBA and is averaging 16.0 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game for Cleveland in 2023.
Cleveland point guard Darius Garland was diagnosed with a broken jaw on Friday, and he’s expected to be out for multiple weeks. Garland is second on the team in scoring with 20.7 points per game this season and leads the club in assists with 5.9 dimes per contest this year. Caris LeVert will likely be elevated to the starting lineup while Garland is out.
Hawks vs. Cavaliers NBA Betting Trends
Cleveland is 5-4-2 ATS after a loss this season.
Atlanta is 3-6 ATS after a win this season.
Atlanta is 2-6 ATS with the rest disadvantage this season.
The Hawks are 6-10-1 ATS when playing on no rest since the start of last season.
Hawks vs. Cavaliers NBA Prediction:
Atlanta has been the worst team in the NBA against the number this season. The Hawks are 6-18 ATS overall in 2023. What’s more, Atlanta is 5-8 ATS as the road team this year and 1-3 ATS playing on no rest this season. The Hawks did secure a road win in Toronto on Friday night, but they’d lost 5 straight games outright before that. The problem for the Hawks has been defense.
Atlanta is allowing 122.5 points per game this year, which ranks 28th in the league. Despite the injuries to multiple Cleveland starters, the Cavs will still have Donovan Mitchell, Caris LeVert, Max Strus, and Jarrett Allen all available for this Eastern Conference showdown. Those players should provide enough scoring punch to defeat a Hawks team playing on the second night of a back-to-back on Saturday night. I’m backing the Cavs at home in this one.
