Atlanta Hawks vs. Detroit Pistons, Picks and Prediction, Friday, December 12, 20205
Use Code WWWC The NBA Cup returns Saturday, but NBA action returns on Friday with this Hawks vs. Pistons prediction. Atlanta (14-11) is off to a pretty good start, despite not having All-Star guard Trae Young for most of their games. They'll have a tough challenge when they travel to Detroit to face the Pistons (19-5), who have the best record in the Eastern Conference. These teams have met twice this season, with Detroit winning both games, including a home win on Dec. 1, 99-98, but the Hawks covered the 9.5 points. Check out more free NBA Picks, bowl games and NFL predictions this weekend at Winners and Whiners.
Hawks waiting on Young
Trae Young (knee) is out for this game and hasn't played since Oct. 31. But ESPN's Shams Charania reports that he could return by the end of the month. Atlanta has done pretty well without him, winning their last game over a dreadful Wizards team 131-116 as a 9.5-point favorite on Dec. 6. That win broke a three-game losing streak.
Jalen Johnson has been fantastic for the Hawks this season, picking up a lot of the slack for Young. He's averaging 23.4 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 7.9 assists. Nickeil Alexander-Walker adds 20.7 points and shoots 39.1% from long range. Young has played five games (17.8ppg), while oft-injured Kristaps Porzingis (19.2ppg, 5.6rpg) has played 13 and is out on Friday with an illness.
Key Injury Report for Hawks:
- G T. Young (knee) is out.
- C Kristaps Porzingis (illness) is out.
Cunningham leads a strong Detroit squad
Detroit isn't a participant in the NBA Cup, which is surprising, but the ultimate goal is to win the NBA title, and they haven't played since Dec.6, when they beat Milwaukee 124-112 as a 12.5-point favorite. The extra rest can't hurt and the Pistons have not been playing their best basketball, having gone 4-3 in their last seven games, covering just once.
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The metrics don't love the Pistons as DunksandThrees.com has them ranked 10th in Adjusted Net Ratings, 10th in Adjusted Offense and sixth in Adjusted Defense. Turnovers have been an issue this season, as they are averaging 15.2 per game. As great as Cade Cunningham has been, averaging 27.5 points, 9.3 assists and 6.3 rebounds, he's also averaging 3.9 turnovers per game. C Jalen Duren adds 18.8 points and 11.5 rebounds, but also averages 2.6 turnovers.
Key Injuries for Pistons
none
Spread Pick for Hawks vs. Pistons
Hawks vs. Pistons Pick and Prediction
- Atlanta +7.5 (4 units)
Take the Hawks in this game. They are a better team on the road (10-5) than at home (4-6). That's hard to explain as they shoot 49.8% from the field on the road (3rd) and 37.4% from long range. Detroit's turnover issues will continue to be a problem. They're a good team, but they haven't covered in four straight and seven of the last eight games.
- Over 232.5 (5 units)
Both teams are young and athletic, so they need to get out and run. In head-to-head matchups, the over has hit three of the last four games. Atlanta is sixth in pace of pay, while Detroit is 14th. Atlanta has gone over in five of their last seven games.
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