The NBA has a huge schedule on Sunday as the association wraps up its regular season. Among the early games for the day, the Atlanta Hawks and the Indiana Pacers will meet on Sunday, April 14th, 2024 (1:10 PM ET). The Pacers are favored in the game at -13.0 (bet365). A big reason for the large spread is that the Pacers stand to benefit from a win while Atlanta should be indifferent to the outcome. My Hawks vs Pacers prediction focuses on the OVER/UNDER for total points in the game.
NBA Matchup: Hawks vs Pacers
Away: Atlanta Hawks
Home: Indiana Pacers
Game time: Sunday, April 14th, 2024 @ 1:10 PM ET
Hawks vs Pacers odds (home team's spread): -13.0 (bet365)
Atlanta vs Indiana Prediction: Recent NBA Headlines
Atlanta played on Friday, a game that they lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves 109-106. The game marked Atlanta's 5th straight loss. They have had Trae Young back for the last couple of games but he has averaged just 24 minutes per game since returning. Atlanta is resigned to the 10th spot in the play-in tournament. They do not have anything to gain with a win or anything to lose with a loss.
Atlanta Hawks injuries: recent news
Jalen Johnson went out a couple of days ago. He will be looked at again in three weeks, meaning his season is likely over. Atlanta would have to win two games in the play-in tournament and win a first-round NBA playoff series for Johnson to see court time again this season.
The Hawks otherwise look pretty good at the front end of their roster for this game. They have some concerns at the lower end. However, the availability of their players is not the issue in this game. The issue is that they would be stupid to overplay their top players. They need to make sure everyone is run in properly with some shifts and then focus on preserving them for the play-in tournament, where they will need two road wins to keep their season alive.
Double-check for playing status updates with Atlanta (15:26 ET time of writing): Team's Depth Chart
Indiana Pacers injuries: recent news
The Pacers last played on Friday, a game that they lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers 129-120. Otherwise, Indiana has been pretty solid in recent weeks. The team has gone 15-10 since the resumption of play after the All-Star break.
They head into Sunday sitting in sixth place in the Eastern Conference. That puts them on the bubble to avoid the play-in tournament. With a loss to Atlanta, Indiana could slide into the play-in tournament. With a win, they could finish 5th in the conference standings. But minimally a win against Atlanta would guarantee them a playoff series. That makes the game an important one against Atlanta.
As of Saturday afternoon, there wasn't much to tell regarding Indiana's depth chart. Bettors could look for updates with Obi Topping and Isaiah Jackson. The team has gone 11-7 since Bennedict Mathurin's last game on March 5th.
Double-check status updates Indiana (15:26 ET time of writing):: Team's Depth Chart
Hawks vs Pacers Prediction: Betting Tips
Indiana is coming in at -900 (bet365) on the moneyline. That's too short to bother with. I think bettors should just be focused on the total points in this game, which has been set at 235.5. My recommendation is to take the UNDER at -110 (bet365).
One way this game could go is for Indiana to blow Atlanta out due to the former's need to win and the latter team's indifference. In that case, the bench players feature prominently in the game as each coach looks ahead and preserves its best players. That scenario would have both teams favoring a slow pace to keep everyone's legs and lungs at 100% for the playoffs or play-in tournament. I am thinking there is an above-average chance for this game to have a below-average number of possessions, accordingly.
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