Atlanta Hawks vs Phoenix Suns 11/14/19 NBA Odds and Betting Preview

The Atlanta Hawks hit the road and head to the Valley of the Suns for a Thursday night encounter against the Phoenix Suns.

The Hawks snapped a three-game losing skid with a big 125-121 win over the Denver Nuggets but they are still struggling right now with just two wins in their last eight games played. The Suns had won four out of five games before they locked horns and lost to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Big Game Trae

The Atlanta Hawks won for the first time in four games and they did so at the expense of the powerhouse Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night. Trae Young had another big game for the Hawks who improved to 4-6 SU for 2nd place in the Southeast Division.

Trae Young is starting to get in the groove once again. After scoring just nine points against the Chicago Bulls last week, Atlanta’s top gun has put up three straight games with at least 30 points. Against the Nuggets, Young scored a season-high 42 points. He shot 13-21 from the field including 8-13 from behind the three-point arc.

The Hawks are ranked 22nd in scoring at 106.5 points per game on the season. They are 24th off the glass at 43.8 rebounds per contest and 20th in passing at 23.4 points per game this season. Atlanta gives up the 14th most points per game this year at 110.1 points per game.

Rising Suns

This was supposed to be another rebuilding season for the Phoenix Suns. But despite losing starting center DeAndre Ayton to a 25-game suspension at the start of the season, Phoenix has fought back and the Suns are now rising with a record of 6-4 which is very impressive in a loaded Pacific Division.

The Suns are coming off a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers but not after giving LeBron and company a tough fight. Phoenix crawled back to take a 113-111 lead with 3:29 left in the game before Kyle Kuzma and James rained three-point baskets on the Suns. Devin Booker had another big night for Phoenix and he is averaging 25.3 points per game this season.

The Suns are 5th in the NBA in scoring at 116.6 points per game. They rank 27th off the glass with an average of 42.5 rebounds per game and they are the top passing team in the league at 28.5 assists per game. The Suns are in the middle of the pack in scoring defense with their 110.4 points per game allowed.

Who Wins?

Atlanta is 2-6 SU in their last eight games played. The Hawks are 2-2 SU in four road games played this season and they are also 5-15 SU in their last 20 games against teams from the Pacific Division. Phoenix is 4-2 SU in their last six games played. The Suns are 4-3 SU in seven home games played this season, 2-14 SU in their last 16 games against the Southeast Division and 5-13 SU in their last 18 November games. Head to head, the Hawks are 7-3 SU in their last 10 meetings.

The Hawks were off to a good start when Trae Young got hurt. Now that he’s back and starting to find his scoring groove again, the Hawks are a tough bunch to deal with. Atlanta lost John Collins to a suspension but that should be offset because the Suns are without Ayton who is suspended for the same offense.

The Suns are a surprise team this season. Devin Booker has benefited from playing with a true point guard in Ricky Rubio. Rubio hasn’t only orchestrated the offense well but he’s played terrific basketball overall. Aron Baynes has filled in nicely for Ayton while Kelly Oubre and Dario Saric are contributing off the bench.

The Hawks are the NBA betting underdogs here but they have a real chance of pulling off the win. Trae Young is starting to heat up again and they are facing a Phoenix team that is ranked third in the league in three-point percentage and 8th overall in three-point baskets made. The Suns aren’t a good defensive team so this should be a shootout. However, I think that the Suns play better team basketball and the Hawks are missing Collins’ production.

Prediction: Phoenix Suns

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Other Bets to Make

The Hawks are 2-4 ATS in their last six games played. Atlanta is 11-4 ATS in their last 15 road games played and 12-5 ATS in their last 17 games against the Western Conference. The Suns are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games played and 6-2 ATS in their last eight games played at home. Phoenix is 1-4 ATS in their last five Thursday games played. Head to head, the Suns are 5-4-1 ATS in their last 10 games played.

The Hawks have outscored the Suns by an average of 6.2 points per game in their last 10 meetings and 5.0 points per game in their most recent three games played. With the Suns’ ability to hit the three-ball as a team, they are solid favorites to cover the spread. However, with Trae Young putting up three consecutive 30-point games, the Hawks should keep this close. I’ll take the plus points here.

Prediction: Hawks +7

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The total has gone under in six out of the last nine games played by the Hawks. The over is 4-1 in their last five November games played. The total has gone under in six out of the last 10 games played by the Suns. Phoenix has seen the total go over in four out of seven home games played this season and the over is also 4-1 in their last five games against the Eastern Conference. Head to head, the under is 8-1-1 in their last 10 meetings and the under is also 4-1 in their last five head to head meetings played in Phoenix.

These teams have combined to score an average of 203 points per game in their last 10 head to head meetings and 229 points per game in their previous three encounters. As stated above, the Suns are one of the best three-point shooting teams in the league right now and are in the Top 5 in scoring. Atlanta has struggled offensively this season but has averaged 115.66 points per game in their last three games. This should be a high-scoring affair.

Prediction: Over 227

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