Miami (3-1) at Atlanta (2-2)
When: Thursday, October 31st, 2019
Where: State Farm Arena,
Atlanta, Georgia
Time: 7:05 ET | TV: TNT
Opening Odds: Miami -7.5/217
Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young entered Tuesday’s game against the Miami Heat averaging 34 points and nine assists to help his team win two of their first three games and good enough to earn him Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors. Young suffered a sprained ankle in Atlanta’s 112-97 setback in Miami, and while X-rays were negative, he will miss some time. Young played in 81 of 82 games as a rookie, sitting out only the team’s next-to-last game at Milwaukee. His 11 minutes Tuesday were a career low, and the five points tied the second-lowest scoring night of his career. The Hawks will try to earn a win without their second-year star when they host Miami in the back end of a home-and-home set on Thursday. The Heat improved to 3-1 with the win and star swingman Jimmy Butler made his team debut with 21 points on 5-of-11 shooting in 31 minutes after missing the first three games due to the birth of his daughter. The Hawks won three of the four meetings last season and covered the spread in each of them before Tuesday’s encounter. The home team has won seven of the past nine meetings.
Miami sits atop the Southeast Division thanks to a seventh-ranked offense that is scoring 118.0 points a game and shooting just under 40 percent from 3-point land. Rookies Kendrick Nunn and Tyler Herro are off to great starts with Herro scoring 29 points while going 7-of-9 from the field and 12-of-16 from the line off the bench in the win over Atlanta on Tuesday. Goran Drajic also came up big off the bench by pouting in 21 points in 30 minutes including 5-of-9 from beyond the arc. Small forward Justise Winslow scored a season-low two points on 1-of-7 shooting in the win. Miami will be home to Houston on Sunday before embarking on a three-game road trip.
Atlanta will need to find some scoring while Young is out, and power forward John Collins was the first to step up with 30 points on 10-of-17 shooting. Collins’ five 3-pointers on Tuesday marked a career high. Jabari Parker is the only other player averaging in double-figures (11.5) after scoring 12 points off the bench on Tuesday, but the Hawks shot only 42.2 percent without their star. Rookie small forward Cam Reddish (Duke) went 2-of-10 from the floor on Tuesday and is averaging just 4.3 points on 21.9 percent shooting. Shooting guard Evan Turner (Achilles) sat out Tuesday and is day-to-day. Thursday’s contest marks the first of four straight home games for the Hawks, who will entertain the San Antonio Spurs next Tuesday.
The Hawks were having trouble scoring even with Young in the lineup and things will now get difficult. The Heat have been playing solid defense, especially defending the three-pointer, and will be able to runaway with this one.
Pick: Heat -6
Heat are 5-0-1 ATS in their last 6 Thursday games.
Heat are 3-0-1 ATS in their last 4 games overall.
Heat are 3-0-1 ATS in their last 4 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game.
Heat are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 vs. NBA Southeast.
Heat are 3-1-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up win.
Heat are 9-4-1 ATS in their last 14 when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game.
Heat are 1-3-1 ATS in their last 5 road games.
Hawks are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games following a ATS loss.
Hawks are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points.
Hawks are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games playing on 1 days rest.
Hawks are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
Hawks are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 home games.
Hawks are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
Hawks are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game.
Hawks are 11-4 ATS in their last 15 vs. Eastern Conference.
Hawks are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games following a straight up loss.
Hawks are 20-8 ATS in their last 28 games overall.
Hawks are 19-8 ATS in their last 27 after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game.
Hawks are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 vs. NBA Southeast.
Hawks are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 Thursday games.
Over is 5-1 in Heat last 6 road games.
Under is 4-1 in Heat last 5 vs. NBA Southeast.
Over is 4-1 in Heat last 5 when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game.
Over is 6-2 in Heat last 8 overall.
Over is 6-2 in Heat last 8 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game.
Under is 25-12 in Heat last 37 Thursday games.
Under is 4-0 in Hawks last 4 overall.
Under is 4-0 in Hawks last 4 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
Under is 4-0 in Hawks last 4 when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game.
Under is 4-0 in Hawks last 4 vs. Eastern Conference.
Under is 4-0 in Hawks last 4 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
Under is 4-1 in Hawks last 5 games playing on 1 days rest.
Under is 4-1 in Hawks last 5 after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game.
Under is 35-17 in the last 52 meetings.
Heat are 1-4 ATS in the last 5 meetings.
Underdog is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings.
