Atlanta Hawks vs Detroit Pistons Prediction: The Hawks can handle an outsider in the East

Saddique Bay was a part of a trade between Detroit and Atlanta, so a face-to-face meeting with his former team will be especially crucial for him. The Hawks need a win to compete for a better playoff spot. Can the Hawks handle an Eastern Conference underdog?

Atlanta Hawks

Quin Snyder built the Utah game from the three-point shot. Atlanta now has quite a few decent snipers, but the new coach doesn't seem to be taking full advantage of that yet. In the last ten games, Atlanta has averaged fewer than 30 three-point attempts per game, just 26th best in the NBA. The results haven't been good either, with six losses throughout ten games. But the good news was that Trae Young, who made 40% of his three-pointers under Snyder, was much more effective. Bogdan Bogdanovic has played well since his injury, but Dejounte Murray's stats have dropped noticeably. Saddiq Bey has fit in well, and there should be no problems on offense in general. On defense, however, there are questions.

Atlanta dropped to 22nd place in the NBA's defensive rating, and considering only the last ten games, only Indiana and Portland are worse. Not to mention that Quin Snyder's team allowed over 120 points against San Antonio in their previous game. The Hawks led by as many as 20 points after the first half but ultimately lost 118:126. Young blew the game, scoring only 9 points on 4-of-15 from the field. Dejounte Murray hit only 40 percent of his shots from the game, and more effective big men Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu were not as visible to make an impact. Atlanta did not score a single three-pointer in the 2nd half, making ten attempts, which was the reason for the failure.

Detroit Pistons

The Pistons have been finishing the season for a long time now, and the regular season's outcome has long been a foregone conclusion. Last place in the NL East is assured for Detroit, although the club had some ambitions before the start of the season as they got their experienced role players - Alec Burks and Bojan Bogdanovic. Bogdanovic was almost the leader of Detroit's offense, and now he's not playing due to injury. Burks is also on the sideline, and Jaylen Duren, Isaiah Stewart, Isaiah Leavers, and Hamidou Diallo will not play either, not to mention the long-sidelined Cade Cunningham.

Killian Hayes often makes 10+ assists per game, James Wiseman and Marvin Bagley have bright games, but Jaden Ivey has returned from the coronavirus protocol, not in great shape. Wiseman led the way for the Pistons against the Heat and even took the lead before the final quarter, but in the end, the team lost with a score of 100:112. Wiseman made 10 of 13 shots from the field.

Expert Betting Tips

Atlanta is playing well at home. They conceded over 130 points against Boston and Minnesota. The current opponent is weaker, and considering the losses in the roster, Detroit should not be a severe problem. Right now, the Pistons are building their game around big men, and the Hawks have some decent defenders under the basket. Atlanta beat Detroit twice this season, and we should expect something similar now.