After two very different games between these two teams in Atlanta, the Detroit Pistons will play host to the Atlanta Hawks for the first time this season. The Hawks are playing some good basketball right now as they remain amongst the conferences’ better teams. Meanwhile, Detroit will hope they can get back on track as they return home following a below-.500 road trip.
Don't miss the hardwood action from The Palace at Auburn Hills at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 18, 2017. Catch every moment of the game live on Fox Sports.
We'll have NBA odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NBA Wednesday schedule.
Odds Analysis
Detroit’s still within reach of the Eastern Conference playoffs, just a few games back of the conferences’ eighth spot and its shown some flashes of solid play this season, yet the team still sits five games under-.500 SU and has been a difficult team to bet on given a 19-24 ATS mark.
The Pistons just wrapped up a five game road trip that saw the team go 2-3 SU and ATS. They’re 5-11 SU over their last 16 games and have covered the spread just three times in their last 10 games.
Flipping over to the visiting bench in this game, the Hawks snapped a seven game winning streak with a loss to Boston on Friday, but rebounded with a big win over Milwaukee a couple days later and are now 7-1 ATS in their last eight games. Interestingly, the under has paid out in five of the team’s last six games as defense has been Atlanta’s forte.
Last Meeting
The Hawks beat the Pistons at home the last time these teams met back on December 30, by a final of 105-98, allowing Atlanta to cover the spread by 4.5-points.
Atlanta was favored in that game, but only by a couple points following a 36-point loss to Detroit at the Phillips Arena a month prior. In that game, the Pistons held Atlanta to just 36.4-percent shooting from the floor, beating them 121-85 with eight different players reach double-digits in points while Andre Drummond provided a double-double and the team as a whole shot 53.9-percent from the floor and a staggering 58.6-percent from three-point range.
In the loss, Dennis Schroder also had a double-double with 11 assists and 17 points, but few other Hawk players were able to do much of anything.
One month later, Detroit shot just 41.7-percent from the floor and 29-percent beyond the arc. Drummond still had a nice game and Jon Leuer scored 22-points, but the bench provided little to nothing.
Meanwhile, Schroder led Atlanta in assists again and added 17-points. The guard figures to be a key part of the game on Wednesday as well given his success in the first two games of this season series. In addition, Paul Millsap had a nice game, scoring 26-points and providing a nice presence on the inside, something this team lacked against Detroit in their first meeting.
Injury Report
Based on the records and the numbers, the Pistons are already at a disadvantage in terms of talent—despite their big win against Atlanta earlier in the season. They’re potentially going to be playing without Kentavious Caldwell-Pope who is dealing with a Grade-2 rotator cuff strain that’s sidelined the shooting guard for the past two games. In one of those games, Detroit scored just 77-points without the guard.
Caldwell-Pope is a significant part of this team’s presence on the outside and his absence makes things easier for Schroder and Kent Bazemore on the parameter.
Meanwhile, the Pistons have also been without forward Jon Leuer for last four games due to a knee injury. His numbers aren’t as strong as Caldwell-Pope’s overall, but he did score 22 the last time he faced Atlanta and the team is just 1-3 SU and ATS in the four games he’s missed.
Free NBA ATS Picks
The Hawks may have beaten the Pistons the last time they met, but they haven’t forgotten the embarrassing loss from earlier in the season and that could still serve as a bit of momentum as they head to The Palace for the first time this season.
Both of these teams boast a rather strong defense, so the best bet of the game could be on the under against the total, but look for Atlanta to inch out a win on the road against Detroit as well.
This Pistons are likely to be down a couple important players that will help Atlanta both inside the paint and on the parameter. Look for Dwight Howard to hand with Drummond in terms of rebounding inside, while Millsap leads in shooting inside.
NBA Odds: Hawks 103, Pistons 99
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
