Atlanta Hawks at Oklahoma City Thunder Betting Preview
Opening Line: Hawks +1 / Thunder -1 O/U 193.5
Time: 8 PM EST Tuesday February 2, 2010 on FSOKHD
Tonight the young and talented Oklahoma City Thunder host the Atlanta Hawks. The Thunder are only 5-5 in their last 10 games, but they have won 2 in a row and currently trail the Denver Nuggets by 6.5 games in the Southwest Division. The Hawks were crushed by Orlando in their last game, which dropped them one game behind the Magic in the Southwest Division.
This season the Oklahoma City is 14-10 at home and 28-18 ATS and Atlanta is 11-11 on the road and 30-16 ATS.
In their last game Oklahoma City beat the Golden State Warriors 112-104 on Sunday and Hawks were smoked losing to Orlando 104-86 on Saturday.
Many thought the Thunder would have bright future with a solid core of young players led by Kevin Durant SF (29.6 ppg), PF Jeff Green (14.2 ppg), and PG Russell Westbrook (15.9 ppg). That future is now, as the Thunder are battling for a playoff spot and they currently are tied with the Memphis Grizzlies for the 8th position in the Western Conference.
Durant has been on fire since the New Year, as he not only was the highest scoring player in the league in the month of January, but he also dropped 45 points in his last game.
The Thunder have a great defense ranking 5th in the league in points allowed this season (95.7 ppg) and they will have to shut down Hawks' offense that ranks 7th in the league in scoring (102.2 ppg).
The Hawks have several scoring options with Joe Johnson (21.4 ppg), Josh Smith (15 ppg), super 6th man Jamal Crawford (17.7 ppg), and first time All Star Al Horford (13.3 ppg).
Horford is the leading rebounder for the Hawks (9.6 rpg) and he will be counted on to hit the glass hard tonight and he will have to, as the Hawks are in the negative this season in terms of rebound differential (-0.3 rpg), while the Thunder are a solid +2.3 rpg.
The Thunder beat the Hawks earlier this season in Atlanta holding them to only 40% shooting from the floor.
Atlanta is 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games as a road underdog of 0.5-4.5, 8-2-1 ATS in their last 11 games against teams in the Northwest Division and has an Under record of 4-1-1 in their last 6 road games.
Oklahoma City is 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games as a favorite, 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games against teams with a winning record, and has an Under record of 7-3 in their last 10 home games.
In this match up the underdog has gone 4-1 in the last 5 games and the total has gone Under in the last 4 games in Oklahoma City.
Future Betting Odds
NBA Handicapping
Orlando Magic at Boston Celtics 5-28
The Magic have won 2 games in a row in this series and look to tie the series tonight, as the Boston Celtics hosts Orlando in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals. The Magic have got back in this series and look to become the first team ever in the NBA to come back from a 3-0 deficit. The Celtics are small 3.5 point favorite at Bodog tonight when they try to close out this series at home.