Both the Atlanta Hawks and Indiana Pacers expected to have better years than they have had so far this season. They both find themselves in the bottom-six in the Eastern Conference to this point in the season, and will have to start stringing wins together if they want any hope of avoiding the play-in tournament. In order to kick start that process, getting a win over one another in Indiana on Wednesday night would be a great place to start.
In this Atlanta Hawks vs. Indiana Pacers matchup, injuries and illness are set to play a key role on both sides. For that reason, bettors may want to wait to see who is available and who is not before locking in their wagers closer to tip off. But there should be some value in the betting markets for this matchup regardless of who is on the floor thanks to the track records of each side coming into this Eastern Conference clash.
Atlanta Hawks – Struggling On The Road
The Atlanta Hawks had a seven-game winning streak snapped in their last outing, when they fell at home to the New York Knicks on Saturday night. Atlanta was a 4-9 team prior to their seven-game win streak, and have moved up to 10th place in the East after that run of success. Here, though, the Hawks are tasked with doing something that they have not done very often this year: win a game on the road.
So far this season, the Atlanta Hawks have won just three games on the road, going 3-8 in their 11 contests away from Atlanta. Only one of those three road wins has come against a quality opponent, with the Hawks’ road wins coming against the Grizzlies, Spurs and Pelicans. A win over the Pacers would be arguably their best road win of the season, or at least the second best behind their win over the Grizzlies.
Expected Line-Up: Trae Young, Lou Williams, Kevin Huerter, John Collins, Clint Capela
with best odds
Indiana Pacers – In Need Of Home Win
The Indiana Pacers have struggled early in the season, getting off to a 9-14 start and losing three of their last four games. Those results certainly are not what the Pacers would have wanted to start the year after working their way into last year’s play-in tournament. But the Pacers have been a decent team at home this season, and will look to take advantage of that against a Hawks team that is terrible on the road.
Indiana is 6-4 at home this season, and they happen to match up well with the Atlanta Hawks. If Myles Turner is able to overcome an illness and play in this game, the Pacers will have two bigs to counter the Atlanta duo of Clint Capela and John Collins. Combine that with some injuries to the guard and forward spots for the Hawks, and the Pacers would have an edge in this matchup if Turner is good to go.
Expected Line-Up: Malcolm Brogdon, Caris LeVert, Torrey Craig, Domantas Sabonis, Myles Turner
Expert Pick #1 – Pacers -1 @ -105
The first bet to make in this game is the Pacers -1 at -105 odds. Indiana has a massive advantage in the home/road department coming into this contest against a Hawks team that is a disaster outside of Atlanta. And with the injuries to Bogdan Bogdanovic, De’Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish impacting the Hawks, the Pacers should be able to further Atlanta’s misery on the road.
Expert Pick #2 – Pacers to Win @ -115
Another bet to place here is on the Pacers to simply win this contest outright at -115 odds. This comes with a little extra vig when compared to the point spread market, but it does protect against a push should the Pacers win the game by a point. It is worth splitting your Pacers bets between the point spread and the moneyline.
Expert Pick #3 – Kevin Huerter Over 11.5 Points @ -120
The final bet to make in this game is Kevin Huerter to score over 11.5 points at -120 odds. While the Hawks should lose this game, Huerter should put up a decent point total, as someone will have to slide in and replace the production of the injured Bogdanovic for Atlanta. Hurter will get some additional looks in this game, which should help him get over this total.
This is a game between two teams that are very difficult to understand, as consistency has eluded both of them throughout the year. But the Pacers should have just enough juice to get them past a Hawks team that hasn’t traveled well at all in the 2021-2022 campaign. Take the Pacers here, as they should notch their 10th win of the NBA season.
