The Oklahoma City Thunder (23-9) travel to face off against the Atlanta Hawks (13-19) on Wednesday, January 3rd. This game will be played at State Farm Arena. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Tip-off is set for 7:30 ET.

Thunder vs Hawks

The Thunder Are Coming Off A Win

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma City with 36 points against the Celtics, the highest on the team. He finished with a field goal percentage of 52.7% in the game. Josh Giddey also contributed 23 points as the Thunder won by a score of 127-123 vs. the Celtics.

Coming into today’s matchup vs. the Hawks, the Thunder are above .500 at 23-9 and will look to add to their win total. In away games, the Thunder are 9-4 this season while going 14-5 at home.

The Thunder have covered the spread successfully in their previous five games and maintain an overall ATS record of 24-8. As the favorite this season, Oklahoma City is 14-5 vs. the spread while going 10-3 as the underdog.

The Hawks Are Coming Off A Win

The Hawks won vs. the Wizards in their most recent game, ending with a score of 130-126. The Hawks entered the game as -6.5-point favorites, but their 4 point victory fell short of covering the spread. The over/under line entering this matchup was 252.5 points, and both teams achieved a total score that exceeded that line.

In their last five games, the Hawks are 1-4 and have an overall record of 13-19. When playing at home, the Hawks are 4-9 compared to their road record of 9-10.

Atlanta has an overall ATS record of 7-25 for the season so far. Atlanta has failed to cover the spread in three straight road games and are 6-13 ATS on the road compared to 1-12 at home.

Thunder Offense Breakdown

Heading into play, the Thunder’s offense is rated 4th in the league in scoring, averaging 121.5 points per contest. The Thunder come into the game as one of the league’s better 3-point shooting teams, connecting at a rate of 13.2 made 3’s per game. One area that the Oklahoma City offense will continue to rely on is their ability to get to the free-throw line. So far, they are the 9th ranked unit in made free-throw per game.

Hawks Offense Breakdown

The Hawks step onto the court for today’s game as one of the NBA’s top-scoring squads, putting up 122.2 points per game (3rd). In terms of pace, the Hawks are one of the top units in the NBA, averaging 101.1 possessions per game. While the team plays at an up-tempo speed, they could improve their efficiency in scoring since they currently rank 17th in the league for overall field goal percentage, which stands at 54%.

Thunder Team Defense

So far, the Thunder’s defense is ranked 12th in the league at 113.1 points per contest. When it comes to defending inside the arc, the Thunder squad is permitting opposing teams to shoot at a clip of 50.8% inside the arc, and they’re also giving up 36.2% from downtown.

Hawks Team Defense

On defense, the Hawks are ranked 27th in the NBA this season. So far, they have given up more points than the NBA scoring average in 78.1% of their games. Opponents are hitting 58.1% of their two-point field goal attempts this season, and they’re also connecting on 38.0% of their three-point attempts.

Key Players For The Thunder And Hawks

Our game forecasts for today suggest that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is set to be the main scorer for the Thunder, recording 28 points and shooting 10/18 from the field. For the season, he has been averaging 31.4 points per game, in addition to 5.7 rebounds.

On the flip side, our predictions place Trae Young as the leading scorer for the Hawks. We expect him to conclude the game with a team-high 26 while also collecting 3 rebounds. For the season, he has a field goal percentage of 43.6% and is averaging 28.3 points per contest.

Thunder vs Hawks Trends

• Across their last five road contests, Oklahoma City has been good against the spread posting a mark of 3-2. Their overall mark in these games was 3-2, while averaging 117 points per game.
• Across their three previous home games, Atlanta has an ATS mark of 0-3. Their straight up record in these matchups was 1-2 while averaging 118 points per game.
• In their last five games as the betting underdog, the Hawks have a straight up record of 2-3 and an ATS mark of 2-3.
• Through their last five games as the favorite, the Thunder have an ATS record of 4-1 and a straight up mark of 4-1.

 

Thunder vs Hawks Prediction

 

When looking to get a point-spread pick down in this Thunder vs. Hawks game, our recommendation is to take the Hawks at +2. Despite our model showing the Thunder winning 115-114, we like Hawks as our point-spread pick.

As for the total, the line is currently sitting at 247.5 and our model has the Thunder and Hawks finishing with a combined 229 points. Our pick is to take 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.