NBA Betting Picks: Houston Rockets vs. Atlanta Hawks Preview

On Monday, the Houston Rockets (8-18 SU, 14-11-1 ATS) continue their road trip with a stop in Atlanta to battle the Hawks (13-13 SU, 11-15 ATS). Will the Hawks get back on track after a nationally televised loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Friday? Or will the Rockets be able to put an end to their short two-game losing streak?

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 Houston Rockets vs. Atlanta Hawks Betting Lines and Odds

Sportsbook: BetUS

Over/Under: 226.5

Point spread: Rockets +10 (-110)

Moneyline: Rockets +400 , Hawks -500

Houston Rockets vs. Atlanta Hawks Injury Report

For the Rockets, Kevin Porter Jr (left thigh contusion), Jalen Green (left hamstring strain) and Danuel house (ankle) will be out for this one. Eric Gordon is set to return after resting on the second leg of a back-to-back Saturday.

For the Hawks, they will be without Solomon Hill (right hamstring strain), Bogdan Bogdanovic (right ankle sprain), and De’Andre Hunter (right wrist tendon surgery).

Houston Rockets vs. Atlanta Hawks Preview

Rockets Offense Carrying Load

I know it may sound crazy, but prior to losing their previous two contests the Rockets had won 8 straight games. Over their past ten games (an 8-2 stretch) the Rockets are 5th in the NBA in Offensive Rating, 12th in Net Rating, 3rd in FTA Rate and 3rd in EFG%, per NBA Advanced Stats.

Defensively, though, there’s some left to be desired. Over the same span of games they are 21st in Defensive Rating and 26th in Defensive Rebound %, per NBA Advanced Stats.

If we zoom out on the Rockets, the picture gets considerably more ugly. According to Dunks and Threes the Rockets are 27th in Adjusted Net Rating, 27th in Adjusted Offensive Rating and 25th in Adjusted Defensive Rating. And if we look at that 8 game winning streak we see a win against a Bulls team on a back-to-back, a terrible defensive team in the Hornets, the Thunder twice, the Magic by two, the Pelicans and lastly a Nets team on a back-to-back without Kevin Durant or LaMarcus Aldridge.

Hawks Righting the Ship Slowly

The Hawks started the season 4-9. Since that point, they are 9-4 and look a lot more like the team that made the Eastern Conference Finals last season. Over that 13 game stretch the Hawks are 2nd in Offensive Rating, 2nd in Assist/TO Ratio, the best at not turning the ball over and 4th in eFG%, per NBA Advanced Stats.

They’ve also been respectable defensively, with the 12th best Defensive Rating in the NBA over the last 13 games. That’s a much improved marker compared to their rank as 24th in Defensive Rating on the season.

Houston Rockets vs Atlanta Hawks Prediction

This is a difficult spread, and one that I don’t want to get involved with. On the one hand, the Hawks are playing really solid basketball and do a great job of limiting turnovers on offense. They had a good chance to beat Brooklyn on Friday night but got outclassed by Kevin Durant. I think this Hawks team is really good.

On the other hand, the Rockets are hard to understand. After all, they have the 5th best Offensive Rating in the NBA over the last ten games. They are a young and scrappy team that should, in theory, keep this game close.

But I am not looking towards the spread, and am targeting the total instead. I think 226.5 is a bit too high for a Hawks team that does not turn the ball over. They also don’t move at a furious pace, and have been a much improved defensive team since their 4-9 start to the season.

I think Eric Gordon for the Rockets can give Trae Young just enough fits tonight to make scoring a bit more difficult for the Hawks. Additionally, Christian Wood and Alperen Sengun should  get a lot of minutes together as they try to curtail John Collins and Clint Capela. 226.5 is too high for this game, so I will play on the Under.

All betting lines were retrieved from BetUS. Click below to claim a free bet, if you’re a new customer.  

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