Miami Heat vs Atlanta Hawks Predictions and Odds Jan 21
Miami Heat vs Atlanta Hawks Betting Preview
SportsMemo NBA handicapper JM Sports offers his Miami Heat vs Atlanta Hawks betting preview for Friday, January 21. At the time of posting, the Hawks have opened as a 1.5-point home favorite over the road Heat, with the total sitting at 219.5 points.
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| Friday, January 21 | NBA Betting Notes |
|---|---|
| Point Spread: | Miami Heat +1.5 vs Atlanta Hawks |
| Total: | 219.5 Points |
| Game Time: | 7:40pm ET / 4:40pm PT |
| Arena: | State Farm Arena in Atlanta, GA |
| TV: | Bally Sports Sun |
Miami Heat vs Atlanta Hawks Analysis
Last year, the Atlanta Hawks found themselves in the Eastern Conference finals, but fell to what would eventually be the NBA champions in 6 games. Now Atlanta finds themselves in the 12th spot in the East, while Miami finds themselves tied for 1st, 9.5 games ahead of Atlanta. One of the biggest keys to this game is going to be potential injury concerns. Miami is without Kyle Lowry, Tyler Herro, and KZ Okpala, while Atlanta is forced to playing without Bogdan Bogdanovic, while potentitally adding Gallinari, Gorgui Dieng, and Clint Capela, who are all questionable in tonight’s big match-up.
Miami Heating Up
Miami has been one of the hottest teams all season, against the spread and straight up. They are 29-16, which puts them in the top-10 in the league so far in winning percentage, and they are 27-18 against the spread, making them the 5th best team against the spread. Miami has held the advantage in the head-to-head series in the recent years, but this season, not only do they have Atlanta’s number, but they are an impeccable 8-1 straight up against divisional opponents.
In those divisional games, Miami is averaging 111 PPG, while shooting over 47% and holding opponents to just 99.8 points on average! Miami is 19-8 this year against the east, 11-4 as an underdog straight up, and while they are only 14-11 on the road, they are 7-4 as a road dog. Miami has put up these numbers because of an all-around effort by this team, they are holding opponents to almost five PPG less than they average on the year, and a perfect example is the fact that they have held five of their last seven opponents to 42.3% shooting or less. Against the spread, Miami is 7-1 in the last two weeks and they are 17-5 against teams forcing 13 or less turnovers per game on average this season.
Hawks Have Taken a Step Back
When you look at how good Atlanta played last year, making it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals, this team may be one of the biggest disappointments this season. Atlanta is 19-25 on the year, while covering just 17 of those games against the spread. If the Hawks are without some of those big names, they may not be able to continue the small streak that they have started. Atlanta failed to cover five games straight, prior to covering the previous two games.
On top of the fact that they are 6-19 against the spread vs. teams that are allowing 108 points or less on average & 5-16 against the spread against teams that are over .500 this season. Yet, they are just .500 as a favorite this season (13-13 ; including 9-9 as a home favorite), yet they are under .500 against the East (11-15) and against the division (4-5). This could be a result of Atlanta allowing over 118 PPG in the last five games and they have allowed five of the last seven opponents to shoot 47.5% or better (including two of the seven shooting over 50%)! With an offense as impressive as Miami’s, Atlanta could be in for a long night.
Miami Heat vs Atlanta Hawks Prediction
When you look at the head-to-head match-ups between these two teams, the team that shot better from beyond the arc covered the last 6 games, and 17 of the last 19 games. This season, crazy enough, both teams are shooting 37.4% from beyond the arc, but the difference is, Miami is shooting 38% on the road, and Atlanta is shooting 37.2%, taking a small step backwards from their season average. When you go back to 1997, Miami has posted a 66-39 record against Atlanta holding a definitive head-to-head advantage.
Opinion : If both teams were at full strength I would be going with Miami and the points without hesitation, if Bogdanovic/Dieng/Capela play, then Atlanta has a chance. If they aren’t I am going with Miami and the points.
Interested in placing a bet on tonight’s Miami Heat vs Atlanta Hawks contest? DraftKings is offering a $1,000 Deposit Bonus for first-time bettors in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Indiana, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Tennessee, Michigan, Virginia, Wyoming and Arizona.
Friday’s #NBA Notes and Trends:
📝The under is 10-3 in Charlotte’s last 13 games.
📝Orlando is 4-14 against the spread at home.
📝Miami is 7-1 ATS in their last eight games.
📝Each of Toronto’s last six games have stayed under the total.
➡️https://t.co/RHOuvHZvdC pic.twitter.com/FBWQEK20vf— GoldSheet (@thegoldsheet) January 21, 2022
Miami Heat vs Atlanta Hawks Preview from GoldSheet
Miami won and covered first two vs. the Hawks this season, scoring a 115-91 victory in Atlanta Jan. 12 and 124-118 in Miami just two days after that, now Game 3 in the series is being played just a week later. Jimmy Butler only played in one game against the Hawks this year, scoring 23 pts. with 10 assists, while Tyler Herro has scored 23 ppg off the bench with 5.5 rpg and 7 apg against Atlanta, but Herro is in Covid quarantine.
Hawk F De’Andre Hunter returned to action in those first two meetings with the Heat, scoring 15 and 20 points. Hunter’s presence softened the recent absence Bogdan Bogdanovic by scoring 20+ points in three of the Hawks’ last four contests, and the team won and covered home games against Milwaukee and Minny in last two.
Atlanta’s Trae Young has been held relatively in check by the Heat, scoring 19.5 ppg but only shooting 39%. The Heat have won six of seven straight up and covered seven of the last eight, and team has some depth at wing to compensate for Herro’s temporary loss, while Bam Adebayo (DNP previously vs. ATL) has returned, which changes things for this matchup, as Clint Capela remains sidelined for the Hawks and will have to wait until April’s 4th series meeting to make his first appearance vs. the Heat. Play Miami.
NBA Stat Sheet
Each day, WagerTalk handicapper Ralph Michaels puts together his NBA Stat Sheet, which offers a head-to-head comparison for how teams are performing in a number of key areas heading into a game. Check out Friday’s sheet, with notes on tonight’s Miami Heat vs Atlanta Hawks contest.
NBA Tip-Off Show
Join Joe Raineri and a rotating panel of guests for the NBA Tip-Off Show at 4:15pm ET / 1:15pm PT as we discuss tonight’s marquee games. Stay up-to-date on the latest NBA news, stats, analysis, and predictions with our panel of professional handicappers as they preview tonight’s NBA action, including this Miami Heat vs Atlanta Hawks clash, from a betting perspective.
NBA Odds Screen
WagerTalk’s live odds screen features up-to-the-minute lines from a variety of offshore and domestic sports books. Track the NBA point spreads, moneylines, first half lines and betting percentages for all of Friday’s NBA games, including this Miami Heat vs Atlanta Hawks showdown, from your desktop or phone.
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