The Atlanta Hawks visit the Miami Heat on Friday night in a game that could still have playoff seeding implications for both of them. A Miami win would guarantee them the top seed in the Eastern Conference, but if the Heat lose Friday and Sunday, they could finish as low as fourth. The Hawks are locked into the play-in tournament and currently sit in ninth, but they could climb as high as seventh if they can win their last two. The Hawks are finishing the season strong, with seven wins in their last ten games, although the Heat ride in on a five-game winning streak of their own. If you plan to include this game in your online NBA betting, read on to get our prediction.
NBA Preview: Atlanta Hawks at Miami Heat
(Friday, April 8)
When: Friday, April 8, 2022, 8:00 pm ET
Where: American Airlines Arena, Miami
TV: No National Broadcast
Radio: WZGC 92.9 FM Atlanta / WAXY 790 AM Miami
Live Stream: Sling TV
Why should you bet on the Hawks?
In Atlanta’s run of seven wins in their last ten games, some of their victims have been quality teams, such as Golden State, Cleveland and Brooklyn. After a loss in Toronto on Tuesday, the Hawks bounced back with a 118-103 home win over Washington the next night, thanks to 30 points from Trae Young. Sixteen of those points came in the third quarter, as the Hawks pulled away, starting with about six minutes left. The Hawks turned a 76-70 lead into a 95-83 advantage at the end of the quarter, with Young’s 16 points making up the bulk of the team’s 19 in that stretch.
Young was not the only Hawk to reach down deep in the win. Bogdan Bogdanovic put up 18 points, all on three-pointers, setting a season best with six makes from behind the arc. However, this team will go as far as Young takes them; he had 11 assists in the win to give him 20 games with at least 30 points and 10 assists, more than anyone else has posted in the league this year. If you like the Hawks, you see Young putting the team on his back again, and pulling off more upsets.
Why should you put your money on the Heat?
Miami’s five-game winning streak has included victories over Sacramento, Boston, Chicago, Toronto and Charlotte – four wins over other playoff teams from the East. Their win over Charlotte on Tuesday was a 144-115 throttling beyond 35 points off the bench from Tyler Herro. The 144 points represented the second highest point total in team history. Jimmy Butler (27 points), Bam Adebayo (22) and Duncan Robinson (21) all broke out big-time for the Heat. Robinson had averaged just 5.7 points per game in his last six contests – including two games without a point – but he found his shot on Tuesday, going 7 of 11 from behind the arc.
The game was still close after three quarters, as the Heat were just up seven, but then Miami went on a 13-2 run to start the fourth quarter. By the time Robinson drained a three-ball with 7:55 left, the score was 117-99, and the floodgates stayed open the rest of the way. Herro was 8 of 14 from distance, and as a team, the Heat shot 23 of 42 from downtown. The hot shooting, especially in the fourth quarter, could be an outlier, but the fact that the Heat were able to break the will of one of the grittier teams in the East is a promising sign for Miami fans.
Final Score and Prediction
Since January 17, the Hawks are 19-3, and they have more to play for in this game. Miami just needs one win in their last two games to clinch the top seed in the East, while Atlanta needs every win possible to get up to one of the top two slots in the play-in tournament. I like Atlanta to come in and take the upset win, 121-118.
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