The Atlanta Hawks have a 3-1 spread record in their last four games, with the ‘total’ splitting at 2-2. Larry Drew’s crew plays the second date of a five-game road journey in Wednesday’s matchup against the San Antonio Spurs, who have allowed 89.2 PPG in their last four home contests en route to the ‘under’ collecting at 4-0.
Sportsbooks opened San Antonio as a four-point favorite, with
early sports betting action on the Spurs driving the number north to five. NBA odds makers
first set the ‘total’ at 188, remaining unchanged at most NBA betting shops after initial
wagers were mixed.
Duncan, Spurs edge out Hornets
San Antonio ended a two-game losing streak with Monday’s 104-102
victory as a four-point road favorite against the New Orleans Hornets. Spurs veteran Tim Duncan came up with eight of his squad’s final 10 points,
including a go-ahead bucket with one second remaining.
Duncan and Co. hit 54.7 percent of their field buckets, including
7-of-16 from three-point land. San Antonio’s Tony Parker logged his
second straight double-double, finishing with 20 points and a season-high 17
assists.
The high-octane duel’s combined 206 points soared above the
‘total’ of 177 ½. Both squads united to sink 27-of-33 free throws, while
the Spurs were outrebounded, 40-27.
Smith, Hawks hold off Bucks
Atlanta notched its sixth win in seven games with Monday’s 97-92
triumph as a 1 ½-point road favorite against the Milwaukee Bucks. The
Hawks led by as many as 11 points, holding Milwaukee to 40.2 percent field
shooting.
Hawks forward Josh Smith picked up his third double-double in five
contests, piling in 19 points and 13 rebounds. Smith added his squad’s
sole three blocks, while mate Joe Johnson notched a team-high 28 points.
The battle’s combined 189 points jumped above the ‘total’ of 179
½. Atlanta was edged out in paint points, 46-38, while Hawks guard Tracy
McGrady logged five assists off the bench.
Back the ‘over’ in “San Antone”
Wednesday’s tip is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. (ET), with Fox Sports
Southwest providing television coverage.
I am adding the ‘over' to my NBA picks, looking for both squads to
shoot lights out at AT&T Center. San Antonio has put up a sizable
101.7 PPG at home, while the Hawks have notched 97.9 PPG overall.
Spurs forward Richard Jefferson has hit 6-of-12 from three-point
land over his last two games, heating up after a 3-for-20 slump in his prior
five contests. The 10-year veteran and his mates have connected at 40
percent beyond the arc on their home floor.
San Antonio and Atlanta make up two of the league’s top-10 clubs
in field shooting, connecting at 46.6 and 45.3 percent, respectively. Smith’s 7-for-14 night for the Hawks in Milwaukee lifted the Georgia native to
a 48.8 percent mark for the season.
The ‘over’ is 3-1-1 in the last five meetings between these foes,
with last December’s 108-92 home win for San Antonio having its combined 200
points leap above the ‘total’ of 194 ½. The Spurs knocked down 53.2
percent of their shots from the field that night, including a sizable 10-of-21
from beyond the arc.
Look for the ‘over’ to cash again here, with the wager banking at 12-5 in the
last 17 spots for the Spurs that followed Gregg Popovich’s club scoring 100
points or more.