Filip Tomic
We have a 5-game slate in the NBA tonight, which features an intriguing doubleheader on TNT. Kicking off the night is the Cleveland Cavaliers hosting the Atlanta Hawks at 7:00 pm ET before the Houston Rockets visit the Memphis Grizzlies at 9:30 pm ET. To add some extra excitement to this Thursday night showdown, I’ve pieced together my Hawks vs Cavaliers Same Game Parlay picks at +527 odds. I cashed my Lakers vs 76ers SGP at +465 odds on Tuesday, so let’s make it 2 in 3 days. You can also find out our NBA picks on the side and total for today’s matchups.
Cavaliers -10.5 (-106)
Darius Garland to score 25+ points (+190)
Trae Young to record 8+ assists (-350)
Hawks vs Cavaliers Same Game Parlay odds: +527
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Cleveland Cavaliers -10.5 over Atlanta Hawks (-106)
Thursday’s game concludes the regular-season series between the Cavaliers and Hawks, a series that’s seen Atlanta win both meetings so far. The games were played back in late November on back-to-back nights, and it was a memorable double win for Atlanta against the then NBA-leading Cavaliers. Circumstances are different this time around. After losing 3 straight games, the Cavs have bounced back with wins over Detroit and Miami, while the Hawks are currently on a 6-game losing streak with several key players missing due to injuries. On top of that, the Hawks are struggling on offense, failing to score 100 points in 3 straight games against Toronto, Minnesota and Houston.
That’s certainly not something you want to hear prior to a game against the NBA’s leading offense this year – the Cavs average 121.3 points per 100 possessions while playing at the 8th-fastest pace. After seeing Cleveland score 110 on Detroit and 126 on Miami in back-to-back games, I’m afraid the Hawks could be in a lot of trouble here. The 3-game losing streak was a wake-up call for Kenny Atkinson and the Cavs, and they are now taking all these games a lot more seriously. I don’t expect Atlanta to have enough to keep up with the high-flying Cavaliers, so I’ll take the home team to cover here for the first leg of my Hawks vs Cavaliers Same Game Parlay.
Darius Garland to score 25+ points (+190)
Garland is averaging 25.8 points over his last 5 games and he’s cleared this line in 3 of his last 4 outings. On Wednesday, he opted to sit the game at Miami for rest purposes, which should mean he will be at 100% against the Hawks on Thursday. Cleveland will likely need an offensive boost from their point guard here as they’re playing their 2nd game in 2 nights. In the last meeting against Atlanta, he had 29 points, and I am very confident he can repeat that stat line in tonight’s game against a semi-injured Trae Young, who isn’t really a good defender even when healthy.
Atlanta’s defense ranks just 27th in opponent three-point efficiency, allowing 37.3% of threes to go in. They also allow the highest number of threes per game (tied with Washington) this season at 14.5, so the Hawks should have a hard time keeping Garland in check here.
Trae Young to record 8+ assists (-350)
The NBA’s assists leader has had a rough time keeping hold of the ball lately, as we just saw him commit 8 and 11 turnovers in his last 2 games. Part of that is the fact that the Hawks have been decimated with injuries and Young, who is already handling the ball most of the time, has had to take on even more responsibilities. On top of that, he also has a hamstring injury which is limiting his ability to move and attack the basket, so I feel like he will settle for a playmaking role here and try to get his team going.
Young has averaged exactly 8 assists per game in his last 8 games, while for the season he’s at 11.4 per game. Against the Cavs in 2 meetings, he’s at 16.5 per game, and we all remember his 20-point and 22-assist game in the first matchup between these teams this season. Atlanta’s offense has been a wreck in the past 3 games and Young is their only hope of getting something out of Thursday’s game.
