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NBA Betting Previews- Atlanta Hawks @ Los Angeles Lakers
Pointspread: Los Angeles -7 ½
Over/Under: 189
The Atlanta Hawks open-up a five-game West Coast swing with a trip to the Staples Center this Tuesday night to take on the Los Angeles Lakers. Tip-off is set for 10:30 p.m. (ET) and the game will be available on NBA League Pass.
Atlanta went into the All-Star break with losses in three of its last four games including a 102-90 loss to New York as a two-point road underdog last Wednesday night. The Hawks dropped to 34-21 straight-up on the year and to 25-30 against the spread. They are currently in fifth-place in the Eastern Conference; 6 ½-games in back of Miami and Boston.
Joe Johnson continues to lead the way for Atlanta with an average of 19.6 points and 5.4 assists a game. Al Horford, who remains probable for this game with a bad back, is averaging 16 points and a team-high 9.8 rebounds a game. Atlanta is ranked 22nd in the league in scoring with 96.8 points a game, but is holding the opposition to 95.4 points, ranking it seventh in points allowed.
Los Angeles needs to quickly erase the memory of its last few games and look for a fresh start against Atlanta. The Lakers dropped their last three games before the break including an ugly 104-99 loss to lowly Cleveland as an 11-point road favorite last Wednesday. They are now 39-19 SU (25-31-1 ATS) and 8 ½ games in back of San Antonio in the West.
LA’s leading scorer, Kobe Bryant is fresh off his fourth NBA All-Star Game MVP award after putting up 37 points in Sunday night’s game. He is averaging 25.1 points a game followed by Pau Gasol’s 18.8 points. The Lakers are averaging 102.3 points a game and their six-point scoring differential over their opponents is the fifth-highest in the league.
Atlanta is catching this team at a bad time as Lakers will be out to prove that last week was just a fluke. Stick with LA all the way in this one with a big win that easily covers the 7 ½ point spread.
