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The Atlanta Hawks (17-23, 10-30 ATS, 23-17 O/U) take on the Miami Heat (24-17, 19-22-1 ATS, 18-23 O/U) in a divisional clash on Friday evening. The Hawks earned a home win against the Magic on Wednesday. The Heat were pelted by the Raptors in their previous bout. The Heat lead the season series 2-0.
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The Atlanta Hawks are looking for some confidence. The squad has not been able to find a groove this season but is seeking a third straight win. They have rebounded from an ugly loss against the Wizards by posting a 109-99 home win against the Spurs on Monday. Atlanta were marked as 4.5-point favorites in 106-104 a home win against the Magic on Wednesday. The Hawks are 10th in the conference. They have covered the spread in two of their last five games.
Trae Young wasn’t at his best on Wednesday night, sinking 18 points. The 25-year-old point guard has been inconsistent, shooting below 32% in three of his last five games, and leads the squad with 27.2 PPG. He is averaging 28.5 PPG against the Heat. Dejounte Murray has been kept in check, amassing 13 or fewer points in two of his last three games. The 27-year-old shooting guard scored 24 in the previous meeting against the Heat and has issued an average of 21 PPG on 47% shooting. Jalen Johnson has shot at least 50% in three of his last five games. The 22-year-old forward is posting an average of 15 PPG on 56.9% shooting.
Chaotic good pic.twitter.com/Lx9B3NDTb2
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) January 18, 2024
The Hawks are 1-4 in their last five road games including an overtime loss to the Magic. They did not cover in any game in that span. Atlanta is averaging 121 points on the season, good for third. The Hawks' defense has been better recently but is a weakness. They are conceding an average of 123 points, pegging them 28th.