The final days of the NBA regular season are here, and Wednesday features game one of a crucial home-and-home series between the Hawks and Cavaliers.
Entering this game, the Cavs are the No. 4 seed in the East on a three-game winning streak, while a surging Hawks team remains the No. 5 seed, just one game ahead of the Raptors.
Each team has won on the other’s home court, but their rosters have changed significantly since their last meeting in late November.
Despite Donovan Mitchell’s questionable status due to an ankle sprain, oddsmakers anticipate a high-scoring contest, setting the total at 236.5 points.
As a result, the Cavs are slight 1.5-point favorites over Atlanta, per BetMGM Sportsbook.
Hawks vs. Cavaliers prediction, best bet
If the season ended today, the Knicks would be the No. 3 seed and likely face the No. 2 seed Celtics in the second round if they advanced.
Many speculate that Cleveland might deliberately lose these two games to secure the No. 4 seed, aiming to face the No. 1 seed Pistons in the next round.
For context, the Celtics swept the Cavs in their season series, 3-0. In comparison, the season series between Cleveland and Detroit finished tied at two wins apiece.
With James Harden and Max Strus expected to return for this game, if Kenny Atkinson decides to cut rotation minutes and Mitchell sits out, we should avoid selecting any of Cleveland’s key players and instead focus on the Hawks.
While Jalen Johnson gets most of the attention and deserves it, the real X-factor for Atlanta of late has been the breakout of former Timberwolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
Alexander-Walker has stepped up as the starting point guard, averaging career highs of 20.8 points, 3.7 assists and 3.5 rebounds across 76 appearances this season.
On Monday, he torched the Knicks for 36 points on 7-for-11 shooting from beyond the arc.
Alexander-Walker has averaged 4.6 made 3s over his last five games.
Let’s stay in tune with the hot hand.
Two valuable bets are the over on his points line of 20.5 (-112, bet365) and his prop to make four or more 3-pointers (+120, FanDuel).
The plus-money odds on a hot shooter suggest that oddsmakers anticipate a slump.
Betting on the NBA?
However, Cleveland’s persistent perimeter issues on defense—ranking in the bottom three across 3-point metrics, including opponent makes, attempts and shooting percentage—make a cool-down outing less likely.
The Cavs allowed the Grizzlies to sink a franchise-record 29 3-pointers during their recent 142-126 victory over Memphis.
Considering that, try this straightforward two-leg parlay for Alexander-Walker’s stats and 3-pointers made.
The Play: Nickeil Alexander-Walker Over 24.5 points and assists + Alexander-Walker to make 3 or more three-pointers (+100, BetMGM)
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Mike Turay is a sports journalist and editor who closely follows the NBA, NFL, college sports and UFC. He has demonstrated expertise in both NBA and NFL player prop bets for nearly three years. Mike is also highly knowledgeable about the sportsbook offer landscape, frequently trying and reviewing the latest apps and sites.
