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Clippers vs Hawks Odds, Spread and Picks

Sam Cox

by Sam Cox in NBA Basketball

Updated Jan 26, 2021 · 6:48 AM PST

Trae Young
LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 16: Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) brings the ball up court in the first half during an NBA game between the Atlanta Hawks and the Los Angeles Clippers on November 16, 2019 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, CA.(Photo by Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire)
  • The Los Angeles Clippers and Atlanta Hawks play on Tuesday, January 26th
  • Atlanta is .500, while Clippers are among the West’s elite – but are without Paul George and Kawhi
  • Get the latest odds, betting preview and a pick below

The Los Angeles Clippers start a six-game Eastern Conference road trip in Atlanta on Tuesday, January 26th. The Hawks are 8-8 on the season and are looking to bounce back from a Sunday loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, which ended a three-game winning run for Trae Young and co.

Patrick Beverley (knee) and Marcus Morris (illness) were day-to-day as of Sunday.

Clint Capela (hand) and Young (back) are day-to-day with injuries for Atlanta. Kris Dunn and Bogdan Bogdanovic are sidelined long-term, but the Hawks welcomed back Danilo Gallinari on the weekend. The former Clipper is in line for more minutes off the bench Tuesday.

With Kawhi Leonard and Paul George out due to COVID protocols, the Hawks are slight home favorites.

Clippers vs Hawks Odds

Team Spread Moneyline Total
Los Angeles Clippers +3.5 (-110) +132 N/A
Atlanta Hawks -3.5 (-110) -156 N/A

Odds taken on Jan 26th from FanDuel

Clips’ Red-Hot Offense

Only the Milwaukee Bucks have a better offensive rating than the Clippers, who lead the league in three-point percentage. The Hawks’ defense has improved markedly on last season, but their defensive rating (ninth in the NBA) perhaps flatters them.

This is a serious test of how good their defense really is, and in particular, it’s a challenge for De’Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish, two young wings who have come on leaps and bounds this season. With George and Leonard out, it will be up to the Clips supporting cast to carry the load offensively.

Nicolas Batum, Morris, Luke Kennard, and Beverley join the two stars in shooting over 40% from beyond the arc. The Clippers aren’t chucking up threes for the sake of it (they rank 25th in percentage of shots from deep), but they are taking good looks when offered to them.

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This Hawks defense will be tested by the sheer amount of shooting the Clippers possess. If Clint Capela plays, it will be fascinating to see how he guards Serge Ibaka – the Clippers will work to pull Capela away from the basket.

The Trae Factor

Atlanta was without Trae Young for their loss to the Bucks. Fourth in the NBA in usage, Young’s availability obviously changes this game drastically. After a slump by his standards, the fifth pick in the 2018 draft scored 38 against Dallas and 43 in a win over the Timberwolves.

Only Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic are ahead of Young in assist rate. He dominates this offense so much it has been a cause of tension on the team. The Hawks have made some tweaks since news of John Collins’ frustration became public, but this offense is still all about Young.

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Joel Embiid is the only player averaging more free throw attempts per game. Defensive discipline hasn’t always been present for the Clippers this season, and particularly Beverley, who leads the league in fouls per game among guards. Keeping Young away from the stripe is crucial for the Clips.

If Young can produce at the level he did in his last two games, the Hawks have a chance of an upset here and we could be on for a game dominated by scoring.

Hit the Over

Backing the over might not seem an obvious option in a Hawks game. Lloyd Pierce’s team is 4-12 on the total points over. The Clippers are 10-7, however, and the Hawks have been given some high total points lines. Given their defensive numbers, and the Clippers’ impressive personnel on the defensive end, we should expect a reasonable total points line here.

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The Clips have given up 105 or more in 11 of their 17 games so far. The Hawks conceded 129 to the Bucks in their last game. Both teams scoring 110 seems very reasonable given the amount of talent on the court.

Given that the Hawks are in the bottom half of the league in threes allowed and shots at the rim, there’s reason to believe their offense will drop off. They have players who do a good job of contesting shots, but there’s no question they have benefited from poor opponent shooting.

The points over looks a good bet anywhere up to around 230.

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