Lakers vs Hawks Picks and Odds

• The Los Angeles Lakers travel to face the Atlanta Hawks at 1 pm ET on Sunday, Jan. 30th
• The Lakers enter the game at 24-26 overall, while the Hawks come in at 23-25 on the year
• See below for the latest odds, analysis and the best bet

To tip off action in the NBA on Sunday, Jan. 30th, an inter-conference battle will commence when the Los Angeles Lakers travel to face the Atlanta Hawks at 1pm ET at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.

Los Angeles enters the game at 24-26 on the year and is just 3-7 in its last 10 games, currently the ninth seed in the West. The Lakers are coming off of a 117-114 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Friday in Charlotte. It was a game they nearly came back to win on the road.

Atlanta comes into the contest at 23-25 overall and is 6-4 in its last 10 games. They sit tied for the 10th seed and final play-in tournament playoff spot in the East. The Hawks most recently took down the Boston Celtics 108-92 on Friday in Atlanta.

Going into the game, the Hawks are listed as7.5-point favorites over the Lakers.

Lakers vs Hawks Odds

Odds as of Jan. 30th from FanDuel

Shorthanded Lakers Searching for a Spark

Los Angeles has continued to struggle lately, and it being shorthanded without multiple key players has fed into those hurdles. The latest wave of injuries include NBA MVP odds longshot LeBron James (knee) and Anthony Davis (wrist). They both missed Friday’s game.

With James and Davis trying to battle back from injuries, the Lakers have relied on Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony and company to provide a spark and keep the team in the playoff picture.

Westbrook, who has gotten some heat as of late with his recent struggles, bounced back in a big way Friday, leading the team with 35 points and five assists. Westbrook, who scored 30 second-half points which was the most points in a half by a Laker since Kobe Bryant’s final game, nearly led a Los Angeles comeback in Charlotte only to come up just short.

Russell Westbrook scored 30 of his 35 points in the 2nd half vs the Hornets🔥 The last Laker with a 30-point half was Kobe (38) in his final NBA game.

Miles Bridges on Russ: "He's a great player. All the hate he gets, I don't get it." pic.twitter.com/fJi5Gi0BmB

— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) January 29, 2022

Anthony has been a nice second unit piece in Los Angeles in his 19th season. Coming off of a 19-point performance in Friday’s loss, Anthony has averaged 15 points and 3.4 rebounds in his last five games.

2️⃣8️⃣,0️⃣0️⃣0️⃣

Carmelo Anthony becomes the ninth player in NBA history to reach 28,000 career points. pic.twitter.com/eYiY2ElRzS

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) January 29, 2022

Those two players might be relied upon once again on Sunday. Especially if James and Davis don’t return or are still not 100 percent. Regardless, the Lakers need to find a way to end a two-game skid against a red hot Hawks squad.

Hawks Are Hot, Inching Into Playoff Picture

The hottest team in the East right now is Atlanta. They have quickly jumped up from the bottom of the conference standings to sit right in the heart of the postseason picture. Earlier in the week they were way back in the NBA Divisional odds.

Riding a six-game winning streak after Friday’s win over the Celtics, the Hawks have moved into a tie for the 10th seed in the East. They are now in the running for one of the final play-in tournament seeds.

HaWWWWWWks‼️ pic.twitter.com/r6RgwZuOmM

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) January 29, 2022

As impressive as Atlanta has been on offense over the last six games, shooting a league-best 49.3 percent from the field during that span, the Hawks have improved mightily on the defensive end of the floor to lock down opponents. During its winning streak, Atlanta has held opposing offenses to just 105.2 points a game (fifth-best in the NBA) on 42 percent shooting from the field (third-best mark in the NBA).

Hawks All-Star guard Trae Young said after Friday’s win that Atlanta is starting to gel with the team now healthy and credited the current homestand for the current win streak. Atlanta, in the heart of a five-game home stand, has had five of its last six victories take place at home.

Trae Young over his last 6 games:

27.2 PPG
8.7 APG
61.2% TS

Hawks 6-0 🔥 pic.twitter.com/s7KP7POR8S

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 29, 2022

Lakers vs Hawks Best Bet

Sunday is the second and final matchup between Los Angeles and Atlanta this season, with the Lakers taking the first game 134-118 on Jan. 7 in Los Angeles. In the rematch in Atlanta, expect the Hawks to stay hot and get revenge on the banged up Lakers.

With James already ruled out, keep an eye on Davis going into Sunday, with the center listed as questionable. Davis’ inclusion could swing the betting lines and ultimate outcome of the game.

For the best bet of the night, go with the over on the total of 225.5 listed for this time. Atlanta’s offense has been playing well as of late and Los Angeles’ offense ranks 10th in the NBA in scoring, so these teams should be able to hit the over.

• The Pick: Over 225.5 (-112)