There are a ton of different ways to lose in sports, and most people simply pay attention to the win/loss record as opposed to how the losses happened. If you take a look at the Atlanta Hawks and the Phoenix Suns, who lock horns on Tuesday night, you will see that the recent losses they have taken have come in very different ways. So let’s get on NBA betting mode and analyze the possible scenarios and basketball lines for this coming match.
Date/Time: Tuesday, April 7th, 7:30 PM
Location: Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia
TV: SportSouth
Radio: 92.9 FM “The Game”
Spread: Atlanta -8
The Hawks looked for a while as though they were going to cruise to a 60-win season, but the losses have started piling up in a way that is a little distressing. Atlanta went a heady 17-0 during the month of January, but have since gone a mere 17-11. Part of the problem can be traced back to the fact that the Atlanta Hawks have experienced a few little injuries along the way. Both Paul Milsap and Jeff Teague are carrying knocks that the Hawks will be hoping will be cleared up by the time the playoffs begin.
Priorities can change for teams throughout the length of the regular season, and with the #1 seed in the Easter Conference long since locked up, the Atlanta Hawks will simply be hoping that they can head into the postseason with a fully healthy squad and complicate rivals along the road.
On the other hand the Suns have turned losing into something of an art form this season, as they have made a habit of going down in the most dramatic fashion possible. They have lost a total of 5 games this season by giving up some game losing baskets in the final 5 seconds of the match, which is 2 more than any other NBA team this season. In order to make it into the 2015 playoffs, teams need to find a way to win tight games, yet the Suns have discovered ways to implode.
So this is how things are for Phoenix. They are just 5-5 in their last 10 games, but did manage to break out of a 5-game losing skid with a close 85-87 win over the Utah Jazz on Saturday. They did have a solid outing in the 107-106 loss to the Golden State Warriors in the game prior to that win, but it has all come a little too late, as they are now all but out of the payoff race.
What can bettors expect:
These two teams met in Phoenix in mid-March, and it was the Hawks who ran out comfortable 96-87 winners. While the Hawks may not be playing their best ball at this point of the season, they are still more than good enough to knock off the Suns on home court and cover the eight point spread set for this match. Having that in mind, I like the Hawks to win this by a similar score line to that last meeting.
