The Atlanta Hawks (18-16) travel to face off against the Los Angeles Lakers (19-14) on Friday, January 3rd. This game will be played at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles and televised on NBA. The Lakers are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Hawks are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Hawks. Tip-off is set for 10:30 ET.

Hawks vs Lakers

The Hawks Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Atlanta fell to 18-16 on the season after a 139-120 road loss to Denver on Wednesday. The Hawks entered the game as +8.5 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread. The over/under line was set at 246.5, and the teams combined for 259 points.

Atlanta trailed 40-33 after the 1st quarter but rallied in the 2nd, outscoring Denver 38-34. However, a 12-0 run by the Nuggets stretched the score from 86-79 to 98-79, and the Hawks couldn’t recover, as they were outscored 41-24 in the 3rd quarter. Atlanta edged Denver 25-24 in the 4th, but the damage was done.

The Lakers Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

The Lakers improved to 19-14 this season with a 114-106 win over the Trail Blazers on Thursday. Playing at home, L.A. entered the game as 7-point favorites and covered the spread. The total points for the game were 220, falling just short of the 225-point over/under line.

After trailing 31-27 at the end of the 1st quarter, the Lakers took control by outscoring the Blazers 33-20 in the 2nd quarter. They extended their lead to 88-75 after the 3rd quarter, allowing them to withstand a late push from Portland, who outscored them 31-26 in the 4th.

Hawks Offense Breakdown

In their 139-120 loss to the Nuggets, the Hawks shot 45% from the field, with a 34.8% mark from beyond the arc, hitting 16 threes. Trae Young led the way with 30 points and 9 assists, knocking down 4 threes at a 40% clip.

De’Andre Hunter added 20 points, connecting on 3 threes at 60%, while Vít Krejčí contributed 14 points and 6 rebounds, also hitting 3 threes. Young scored 12 points in the 3rd quarter, and Krejčí added 12 in the 2nd.

Lakers Offense Breakdown

LeBron James hit 7 threes at 70% efficiency, finishing with 38 points and 8 assists in the Lakers’ win over the Trail Blazers. He shot 60% from the field overall, and added 14 points in the 2nd quarter and 11 more in the 4th. Max Christie also connected on 5 threes, shooting 55.6% from deep and finishing with 28 points.

The Lakers made 15 threes as a team, shooting 34.9% from beyond the arc and 45.7% overall. Austin Reaves contributed 15 points and 11 assists, despite shooting just 33.3% from the field and 22.2% from three.

Hawks Team Defense

Defensively, the Hawks struggled on Wednesday, giving up 139 points to the Nuggets, who shot 56% from the field. Atlanta allowed 40 points in the 1st quarter and 41 in the 3rd, despite holding Denver to 24 points in the 4th.

From beyond the arc, the Hawks conceded 12 threes on 40% shooting. They also sent the Nuggets to the line 21 times, where Denver converted all their free throws. Atlanta finished with 10 steals and 5 blocks.

Lakers Team Defense

Defensively, the Hawks struggled against the Nuggets, allowing 139 points on 56% shooting. Denver put up 40 points in the 1st quarter and 41 in the 3rd, though Atlanta held them to 24 in the 4th.

Atlanta limited the Nuggets to 12 made threes on 40% shooting but sent them to the line 21 times, where Denver converted all their attempts. The Hawks gave up 4 offensive rebounds while recording 10 steals and 5 blocks.

Hawks vs Lakers Trends

• In their last five games away from home, the Hawks have a straight up record of 2-3 while going 2-3 vs. the spread. The team averaged 118 points per game in this stretch.
• The Lakers are 3-0 ATS in their last three home games and 3-0 straight-up.
• As the betting underdog, the Hawks have an ATS record of 2-1 in their last three games. In these matchups their, straight up record was 2-1.
• Going back to their previous ten games as the favorite, Los Angeles has an ATS mark of 4-6 while going 7-3 straight up.

Hawks vs Lakers Prediction

The Hawks come in as the underdog at +3.5, making them our top choice on the point spread. We not only expect them to cover the spread but also believe they have a strong chance of winning the game outright, especially if you’re aiming for a higher moneyline payout.

Right now, the over/under line for the game is sitting at 231.5 and given that our model is projecting 230 points between the teams, we like the under.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.