The Atlanta Hawks visit the Houston Rockets for a matinee clash on Sunday. The Hawks have plenty to play for as they seek an improved position in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament, and Atlanta is 42-39 this season. Houston is 20-61 overall after six straight losses. Jalen Green (illness) is listed as questionable for the Rockets, with Eric Gordon (groin), Dennis Schroder (shoulder), and Christian Wood (hamstring) ruled out. Bogdan Bogdanovic (knee) is listed as probable for the Hawks, with Lou Williams (back) listed as doubtful and John Collins (finger/foot) ruled out.
Tip-off is at 3:30 p.m. ET in Houston. Caesars Sportsbook lists the Hawks as 12.5-point road favorites, while the over-under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 239.5 in the latest Hawks vs. Rockets odds. Before you make any Rockets vs. Hawks picks, be sure to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past three-plus seasons. The model enters Week 25 of the 2021-22 NBA season on a stunning 84-54 roll on all top-rated NBA picks, returning over $2,400. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Hawks vs. Rockets, and just locked in its picks and NBA predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Rockets vs. Hawks:
- Hawks vs. Rockets spread: Hawks -12.5
- Hawks vs. Rockets over-under: 239.5 points
- Hawks vs. Rockets money line: Hawks -900, Rockets +600
- ATL: The Hawks are 13-27 against the spread in road games
- HOU: The Rockets are 16-23-1 against the spread in home games
Why the Hawks can cover
Atlanta has every incentive to win this game from a standings perspective, whereas Houston does not with regard to lottery positioning. From there, the Hawks have the more talented roster, and that is headlined by All-Star guard Trae Young. Young leads the NBA in both total points and total assists this season, and Young is averaging 28.4 points and 9.7 assists per contest. He connects on 38.0 percent of his 3-point attempts, puts pressure on the rim with regularity, and finds open teammates as arguably the best passing point guard in the NBA.
Elsewhere, the Hawks have a high-end defensive anchor in Clint Capela, who is averaging 11.8 rebounds per game to land in the top five of the NBA. The Hawks are No. 2 in the NBA in offensive efficiency and 3-point shooting, and Atlanta also leads the league in turnover avoidance. Houston is No. 29 in the NBA in defensive efficiency, yielding 116.1 points per 100 possessions. The Rockets are also dead-last in points allowed in the paint and fast break points allowed, with a bottom-five mark in second-chance points allowed.
Why the Rockets can cover
Houston is facing an Atlanta defense that has struggled mightily this season. The Hawks are No. 26 in the NBA in defensive efficiency, allowing nearly 1.14 points per possession. Atlanta is No. 24 in the league in field goal percentage allowed, No. 26 in 3-point percentage allowed, No. 26 in turnover creation, and No. 23 in assists allowed, illustrating the potential openings for Houston. The Rockets lead the NBA in free throw attempts, averaging 24.6 per game, and Houston is also in the top eight in 3-pointers, making 13.4 per contest.
The Rockets rank in the top 10 of the NBA in second-chance points (14.3 per game) and points in the paint (48.9 per game), and Houston also forces more than 14.0 turnovers per game on defense. From there, Atlanta struggles on the road, posting a 15-25 record away from State Farm Arena with a -2.2 net rating.
How to make Rockets vs. Hawks picks
SportsLine's model is leaning under on the total, projecting 228 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits over 50 percent of the time. You can only see the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Hawks vs. Rockets? And which side of the spread hits in over 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks, and find out.