Atlanta Hawks vs Dallas Mavericks Prediction & Betting Tips - NBA

Prediction published on 26/01/2024, 04:30  by Joseph King | Modified on 26/01/2024 at 04:45 in NBA Predictions

An inter-conference battle in the NBA on Friday sees the 18-26 Atlanta Hawks hosting the 24-20 Dallas Mavericks. The Hawks come into this contest sitting 10th in the Eastern Conference in what has been a very disappointing year overall. They’ll be hoping to put an end to a three-game losing streak here as they fall even further behind the top eight seeds. Atlanta is now barely holding onto the final play-in spot with a one game lead over the 11th-place Nets. Atlanta has a number of question marks heading into this matchup, specifically star point guard Trae Young. He’s missed the last two games with a concussion and is questionable to take part on Friday. The Hawks most recent outing resulted in a heavy 134-112 away defeat to the Warriors. Their main struggle this season was on full display in the loss as they allowed Golden State to shoot 56% from the field and 48% from three.

The Mavericks also come into Friday’s matchup in desperate need of a win. A 132-109 home defeat to the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday means that the Mavericks have now lost their last three on the bounce. It’s been an up-and-down season for Dallas who currently sit eighth in the Western Conference with a record of 24 wino and 20 losses. Similar to their opponents today, Dallas has suffered on the defensive side of the ball although they have excelled on offense. The Mavs rank 24th in adjusted defensive rating while ranking eighth in adjusted offensive ratings. They have Kyrie Irving listed as questionable to take part as well as Maxi Kleber. Dwight Powell will miss out. Star point guard Luka Doncic will carry the offense once again. The Slovenian is averaging 33.6 points, 8.5 rebounds and 9.3 assists on the year.