(This game has been postponed due to severe weather and icy conditions)
There is an early tipoff in the NBA on Saturday with a matchup between the Houston Rockets (25-12) and the Atlanta Hawks (19-19). This is the first of two matchups between these teams this season. Houston is fresh off a road win in Memphis, taking down the Grizzlies 119-115 and winning outright as 2.5-point underdogs. Atlanta just fell on the road against the Suns 123-115, missing the cover as 5.5-point underdogs. Tipoff is scheduled for 3:00 EST from the State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
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Who wins this East vs. West battle? Read on to see our Rockets vs. Hawks prediction.
Houston Wins Three Straight
The Houston Rockets are gaining momentum, and have won three straight coming into this contest. They are concluding a three game road trip through the Southeast, as they won in Washington, then Memphis and are now stopping in Atlanta before heading home. Their other win in the streak was a home win over the Lakers. The Rockets are 2nd in the Western Conference, but still trail the Thunder by six games. Their most recent outing was the game against Memphis, where they were led by Alperen Sengun with 32 points and 14 rebounds.
Sengun should make a run for the All-Star team this season, he is not one of the best known names in basketball, but the big man is getting 19.3 PPG and 10.5 RPG for the second place Rockets. Sengun has been hot in this small road trip, he scored 26 on Washington in the game before last. Jalen Green is their top scorer, he is getting 20.4 PPG, and is their top outside shooter with 2.7 made threes per game. Green has turned it on lately, scoring 22 or more in each of his last five games. Fred Van Vleet runs the show from the point guard spot, he leads the team with 5.9 APG while scoring another 15.1 PPG.
Amen Thompson started in place for Jabari Smith Jr., who is out with a hand injury. Dillon Brooks is their fifth starter as a tough defender on the perimeter. Houston ranks 12th in the league in scoring with 113.1 points per game, and their defense ranks 3rd by giving up just 107.1 points per game. Houston ranks 11th in the league in possessions per game.
Injury Report:
Out: Jabari Smith Jr.
Game time decision: Tari Eason
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Hawks Hit .500
The Atlanta Hawks have just hit .500 on the season, as they have exactly 19 wins and losses coming into this game with Houston. This is not a good trend, as they have lost four of their last five to get here. This is their first game back after a West Coast road trip where they took losses to the Nuggets, Lakers, Clippers and Suns. Their lone win in the stretch was against Utah. Atlanta is now 9th in the tightly packed Eastern Conference. Against the Suns in their last game, they were led by Trae Young with 21 points and seven assists in the loss.
Young is leading the team in scoring with 22.5 PPG, and is leading the entire NBA in assists with 12.1 per game. He is leading the league in assists by a wide margin, as second on the list is Nikola Jokic with just 9.7 per game. Young has been bothered by an Achilles issue and is listed as questionable for this game. They are giving their number one pick experience, as Zaccharie Risacher is in the starting lineup as a 19-year-old forward. He has been quiet lately, he has not scored over 15 points in any of his last seven games and is scoring 10.7 PPG on the season. De'Andre Hunter has moved to the bench, but is still the third-leading scorer on the team with 19.4 PPG.
Jalen Johnson is their young forward, he is having a breakout season, but will miss this game with a shoulder injury. Dyson Daniels, Clint Capela and Vit Krejci rounded out the starting lineup last game. Atlanta is 6th in the league in scoring with 117.2 points per game, and their defense ranks 29th by giving up 119.8 per game. The Hawks average the third most possessions per game.
Injury Report:
Out: Jalen Johnson, Larry Nance Jr.
Game time decision: Trae Young, Bogdan Bogdanovic
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Best Bets for Houston Rockets vs. Atlanta Hawks
Full-Game Side Bet
Insiders Status:
The Atlanta Hawks just finished up a tough road trip, and the injuries are starting to pile up for them. Jalen Johnson is out, he was having a career year until his shoulder injury. Bogdan Bogdanovic is on the injury report, and most importantly Trae Young has been bothered by an Achilles injury. Given the severity of an Achilles tear if it were to happen, the Hawks' training staff may pull the plug on Young before the game. Atlanta is going deep in their rotation, including staring Vit Krejci in their last game and giving the 19-year-old Rissacher more minutes than he probably deserves. Houston is finally taking the next step this season, Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun are both healthy, and both have cases to be included on All-Star Weekend. The Rockets only have to lay a couple of points here as the much stronger team.
Take the Rockets to win and cover.
Full-Game Total Pick
Insiders Status:
The Atlanta Hawks are one of the fastest teams in the league, they rank 3rd in possessions per game, and get up and down the floor quickly looking for quick shots. They do not utilize the post, Clint Capela is their interior player, but they do not post him up, only toss occasional lobs and let him fend for himself for offensive boards. Houston has a team of balanced scorers, so even when one like Jabari Smith Jr. goes down, there are still four or five other capable scorers ready to take a few extra shots. The Rockets have gone over in two of their last three, and the Hawks have gone over in six of their last eight. Atlanta's depth is hurt by injuries, which will take away from their defensive chemistry, and they are already 28th in the league in points allowed. This will be a high scoring contest.
Take the over.
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