Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Atlanta Hawks March 28 Betting Preview

Two teams that seem to be headed in opposite directions will square off in Atlanta on Tuesday night, as the Atlanta Hawks will host the Cleveland Cavaliers in a key Eastern Conference matchup. Both teams are currently in the playoffs, and have the chance to move up the standings.

We will now take a look at both teams. We will then give you our best betting predictions on this important conference battle. 

Atlanta Hawks

If the season were to end today, the Atlanta Hawks would face off against the Miami Heat in the 7 vs. 8 matchup. The winner would clinch a first round playoff spot, while the loser would have to participate in the play-in. The Hawks are currently sitting in the #8 spot in the East, but they are tied with Toronto Raptors, so every game is crucial for the Hawks.

Even since Quin Snyder has taken over, the Hawks really haven’t made much improvement. The Hawks were hoping that bringing in a new coach would spark the Hawks, but it hasn’t really seemed to work out. 

Trae Young has had an up-and-down season for the Hawks. The acquisition of Dejounte Murray hasn’t worked out as well as the Hawks had hoped, and the team just hasn’t meshed like upper management thought they would. Even though the Hawks are in the playoffs, unless something changes, their stay in the playoffs won’t last long.

Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavs will come into their matchup with the Hawks in Atlanta as one of the hottest teams in the NBA. Cleveland has won eight of its last 10 games, and four straight.

Cleveland currently holds a 5.5-game lead over the Knicks, so it looks like Atlanta will stay in the top four. The Cavs are only 1.5 behind the Philadelphia 76ers for the #3 spot, so they can still gain ground in the Eastern Conference standings.

Donovan Mitchell has been a great acquisition for the Cavs. He along with Darius Garland make one of the best backcourts in the league. Combine them with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, and this team has the ability to win an Eastern Conference title. 

Betting Predictions

This is a key game for both teams. The Cavs want to stay close to Philadelphia so that they can remain in contention to grab the #3 position in the East. The Hawks don’t want to slip further down into the standings to make their play-in scenario even more difficult.

The oddsmakers have spoken, and the Cavs are underdogs in this one. Cleveland is obviously the better team, and is on a very good run right now. The Hawks just look like a team that can’t get things figured out. 

Even with the addition of Snyder, things haven’t gotten much better. Cleveland has the best defense in the league, and are giving up an average of 106 points per game. When they hold their opponents under 118 points, they are 38-22-1 against the spread. We think the Cavs win this one and cover the spread.