:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71949547/1246804500.0.jpg "NBA picks: Hawks vs. Pelicans prediction, odds, over/under, spread, injury report")
The Atlanta Hawks (27-27) will face off against the New Orleans Pelicans (28-27) Tuesday night at Smoothie King Center, with tip set for 7:30 p.m. ET. The Hawks are coming off a 128-108 loss to the Nuggets on Saturday while the Pelicans won their second straight with a 136-104 victory over the Kings on Sunday.
The Hawks will see Trae Young (illness) return to the court after missing one game, while the Pelicans have listed Jonas Valanciunas (quad) and Brandon Ingram (toe) as probable ahead of tonight's action.
The Pels come in as 1.5-point favorites to win at DraftKings Sportsbook, who has them priced at -120 on the moneyline. The Hawks are set at +100 while the point total comes in at 237.5.
Hawks vs. Pelicans, 7:30 p.m. ET
Pick ATS: Pelicans -1.5
The Hawks have won two of their last three outings, and Young will see the floor again tonight alongside his backcourt teammate Dejounte Murray. The pair have helped turn the season around for Atlanta after getting off to a rocky start. The Hawks currently sit in eighth place and have split their last 10 games evenly with a 5-5 SU record in that stretch as they look to keep climbing the standings.
The Pels recently came off a 10-game losing streak, but the return of Ingram has been huge as he's averaged 22.4 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and 5.8 APG in the five games he's played since coming back. He was held out of the Pels' win over the Kings on Sunday due to toe soreness, but is expected to play tonight against the Hawks. It comes at a perfect time for the injury-laden Pelicans, who have been missing Zion Williamson (hamstring) since the beginning of January.
I'm taking the Pelicans at home to win and cover in this one, as they look to be on an upward trend as they get some key players back from injury.
Over/Under: Over 237.5
New Orleans has gone over the total in four of its last five games, but the Pelicans haven't had a total set this high all season long, so there isn't much of a precedent at this number. The Hawks are 9-2 to the over in their last 11 games, and blew a 238-point total out of the water against the Thunder just a couple weeks ago. While 237.5 seems fairly high for any given game, I'm leaning toward the over with these two sides especially as they get some much-needed firepower back in their offense.