Oklahoma vs Atlanta: Both teams are better off offensively

Atlanta, the tenth best team in the Eastern Conference, will play their next game on the road against Oklahoma. Will the Hawks manage to get an important victory in the fight for the final seed in the play-in round? Let's pick a few options to bet on at once.

Oklahoma shows a high-quality performance

Despite losses in the lineup (the Thunder have had to do without most of their key players lately), Mark Daigneault's team is putting up resistance against all opponents without exception. If we take the previous 5 games, we have to highlight the 123 points scored in the home game against Boston (123-132) and only -6 in the game against Denver (107-113). Even the contenders have a hard time playing.

The Thunder beat Portland on the road last week. 134-113 (123-123) in overtime as Isaiah Roby had 30 points; Aaron Wiggins had 28; Theo Maledon had 23. Aleksej Pokusevski had 11 points and 11 assists.

Atlanta has made the play-offs

By the end of the regular season, last season's Eastern finalist has picked up steam. It looks like Nate McMillan's team will have a decent shot at showing a successful performance if they make it past the play-in and make the playoffs. The Hawks have 7 wins in their last 10 games. This stretch has allowed the team to secure the 10th spot in the Eastern Conference. With a 38-37 balance, Atlanta still has a chance at #8 – 2 wins behind the rivaling Brooklyn.

Last game, the Hawks beat Indiana 132-123 on the road. Trae Young had 16 assists on just 2 losses in that game. Atlanta's offense, led by such a phenomenal leader, seems unstoppable.

Injured reserve

• Oklahoma: Josh Giddey, Darius Bazley, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Ty Jerome, Lou Dort, Mike Muscala, Kenrich Williams and Derrick Favors will not play;
• Atlanta: Danilo Gallinari, John Collins will not play. Skylar Mays, De'Andre Hunter are questionable.

Head-to-head encounters

In the first game of the season series, Atlanta beat Oklahoma at home, 113-101.

Last season saw the teams exchange home wins.

Expert Betting Tips

Obviously, Atlanta is the clear favorite for the upcoming game. The Hawks have won 7 games out of the last 10, making a lot of progress on offense. On the offensive end, the Thunder have been looking good as well. What was the team's 120+ points against Boston's top defense worth at the very least? So, we won't bet on Atlanta’s handicap here, but instead look at the scoring. Total Over seems like a great option.

Prediction: Total Over, and most likely a win for Atlanta, as the team is more motivated than the opponent.

• Total Over (229.5) for 2.05;
• W2+TO (228.5) for 2.05;
• ITO1 (107.5) for 1.90.

TelecomAsia Sport is looking for basketball tipsters. Contact [email protected] for more information.