A full 15-game slate in the NBA on Friday night is headlined in part by a showdown between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks at 7:00 pm ET on Amazon Prime. It is a potential Eastern Conference first round of the playoffs preview.
Let’s dive into my Cavaliers vs. Hawks prediction.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Atlanta Hawks odds
Money line: Cavaliers +270 / Hawks -340
Spread: Cavaliers +6.5 (-108) / Hawks -6.5 (-112)
Total: Over 233.5 (-114) / Under 233.5 (-106)
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Atlanta Hawks best bet: Hawks -1.5 (-110)
Atlanta is looking to clinch an outright spot in the playoffs and avoid the play-in tournament. It had the exact same chance against the exact same opponent on Wednesday in Cleveland but lost 122-116. The Hawks were +3.5 road underdogs and are now -6.5 home favorites. That’s quite a swing even with Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen sidelined for the Cavs. Neither side looks especially appealing given the spread, but Over 233.5 is more intriguing.
Not having Allen down low will obviously hamper Cleveland’s efforts to defend the paint. That should open things up for Atlanta’s Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu. Johnson was the Eastern Conference Player of the Month in March and has begun April with four straight double-doubles. Mitchell’s absence certainly puts a dent in the visitors’ offensive capabilities, but at the same time it will increase James Harden’s volume. Harden is 9-for-21 from deep over the past two games.
The over is 3-0 in the Cavs’ last three road games, 8-5 in Atlanta’s last 13 overall, and 3-1 in the last four head-to-head meetings between these two teams.