Cleveland Cavaliers vs Atlanta Hawks Prediction & Betting Tips - NBA

Prediction published on 27/11/2023, 17:20  by Devesh Jaganath | Modified on 27/11/2023 at 19:23 in NBA Predictions

The final game in the East Group A of the NBA In-Seaon Tournament will see the Cleveland Cavaliers battle the Atlanta Hawks at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on Tuesday. The Pacers have already clinched top spot in the group with a 4-0 record. However, the Cavaliers (are second at 2-1 and need a win to stay in the hunt to qualify as the best-ranked second-placed team. The Hawks (1-2) are fourth and cannot qualify from the position they are in. 

The Cavaliers are 9-8 this term and ninth in the Eastern Conference. They secured a 105-102 victory against the Raptors in their last match, with Darius Garland leading the team with 24 points. That result extended their solid record of late to five wins in their last seven, though they are 5-4 against Eastern Conference opponents. Cleveland have a -31 scoring differential, scoring 110.8 points per game (22nd in the NBA) while giving up 112.6 points per contest (13th in the league). At home, the Cavs' offense have been less effective, with 107.7 PPG compared to 114.3 on the road, while in defense, they are averaging 111.9 PPG on their home court versus 113.4 away. The Cavaliers are shooting 47.5% from the field this season, which is 1.6 percentage points lower than the 49.1% allowed by the Hawks to their opponents.

Meanwhile, on the second night of a back-to-back, Atlanta lacked the energy to overcome a 20-point deficit against the Boston Celtics, with Trae Young scoring a team-high 33 points in the 113-103 loss. That result marked their fourth loss in their last six games. They are now 8-8 for the season and ninth in the Eastern Conference standings. The undoubted strength of the Hawks is their attacking prowess, averaging  123.6 points per game, ranking second in the NBA. That includes an average of 120.3 PPG in away games compared to 126.9 PPG at home. However, at the same time, they are conceding 121.1 points per contest, which ranks them 25th in the league. The Hawks have won the last three matches between these sides, though those were all at home. The last three at this venue have gone the way of Cleveland.