Atlanta Hawks (14-14) vs Denver Nuggets (14-14)
Game Info: Friday, December 17, 2021 at 7:30 pm (State Farm Arena)
Betting Odds: Atlanta Hawks -4.5 -- Over/Under: 222.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds
The Atlanta Hawks play host to the Denver Nuggets at the State Farm Arena on Friday night.
The Denver Nuggets have been in decent shape as they’ve won five of their past nine games, but they will be hoping to bounce back in this one after having their two-game win streak snapped by the Timberwolves in a 124-107 home loss on Wednesday. Nikola Jokic led the team with a triple-double of 27 points with 10 rebounds and 11 assists, Monte Morris added 15 points with five assists while Markus Howard chipped in with 14 points in just 17 minutes off the bench. As a team, the Nuggets shot 45 percent from the field and 14 of 39 from the 3-point line, but their problems were on the defensive end as they allowed 40 points in the first quarter to fall behind by 14 points at halftime and things only got worse in the third quarter where they trailed by as many as 23 points. Will Barton had a quiet night as he scored just eight points on three of eight shooting while Frank Campazzo scored just six points on two of eight shooting off the bench.
Meanwhile, the Atlanta Hawks have been in a bit of a rut as they’ve lost four of their past six games, but they will be aiming to build some momentum after blowing past the Magic in a 111-99 road win on Wednesday. Trae Young led the team with 28 points on 11 of 22 shooting, John Collins added 21 points with 10 rebounds on eight of 14 shooting while Lou Williams chipped in with 14 points off the bench. As a team, the Hawks shot 49 percent from the field and 11 of 31 from the 3-point line as they took control of the game with 37 points in the second quarter to take a 14-point lead into halftime, before making another push in the third quarter to lead by as many as 23 points.
Looking at the betting trends, the Nuggets are 4-0 ATS in their last four games following a loss and 5-16 ATS in their last 21 road games against a team with a winning home record. The Hawks are 0-6 ATS in their last six home games and 5-2 ATS in their last seven games following a win of more than 10 points.
Head to head, the over is 4-1 in the last five meetings overall, the Nuggets are 1-6 ATS in the last seven meetings in Atlanta and the Nuggets are 4-9 ATS in the last 13 meetings overall.
JaMychal Green is set to miss extended time with a sprained ankle, but Austin River is listed as probable to return for the Nuggets after sitting out due to league health and safety protocols. The Hawks have their own injuries to deal with as Bogdan Bogdanovic and De’Andre Hunter are both still out for this one. The Nuggets beat the Hawks by 105-96 back on Nov 12, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they did it again here, but the Nuggets are only 1-6 ATS in the last seven meetings in Atlanta, so I’m taking the Hawks to get the win and cover here.