3rd Quarter Report
Fortunes may be turning around for the Hawks after losing four in a row. They have a bit of a cushion as they currently lead the Wizards 100-87.
If the Hawks keep playing like this, they’ll bump their record up to 13-19 in no time. On the other hand, the Wizards will have to make due with a 6-26 record unless they turn things around (and fast).
Who’s Playing
Atlanta Hawks @ Washington Wizards
Current Records: Atlanta 12-19, Washington 6-25
How To Watch
- When: Sunday, December 31, 2023 at 3 p.m. ET
- Where: Capital One Arena — Washington, District of Columbia
- TV: Bally Sports – Southeast
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $15.00
What to Know
The Hawks are 8-2 against the Wizards since October of 2021, and they’ll have a chance to extend that success on Sunday. The Atlanta Hawks will head out on the road to face off against the Washington Wizards at 3:00 p.m. ET at Capital One Arena. The Wizards do have the home-court advantage, but the Hawks are expected to win by 6.5 points.
The Hawks’ recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Friday after their fourth straight loss. They fell 117-110 to Sacramento. The Hawks were up 23 in the first but still couldn’t manage to seal the deal.
The match pitted two of the league’s most dominant guards against one another in Trae Young and De’Aaron Fox. Fox had a solid game and scored 31 points along with eight assists and six rebounds. Meanwhile, Young did his best for the losing side, scoring 24 points along with nine assists and four steals.
Even though they lost, the Hawks were smashing the offensive glass and finished the game with 18 offensive rebounds (they’re ranked second in offensive rebounds per game overall). They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as the Kings only pulled down five offensive rebounds.
Even though the Wizards have not done well against the Nets recently (they were 2-8 in their previous ten matchups), they didn’t let the past get in their way on Friday. Washington managed a 110-104 win over Brooklyn. The victory was just what the Wizards needed coming off of a 132-102 defeat in their prior game.
Atlanta has traveled a rocky road recently, as they’ve lost ten of their last 13 matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 12-19 record this season. As for Washington, their win bumped their record up to 6-25.
Some high-performance offense is likely on the agenda as the pair are some of the highest scoring teams in the league. The Hawks haven’t had any problem running up the score this season, having averaged 121.9 points per game (they’re ranked third in scoring overall). However, it’s not like the Wizards struggle in that department as they’ve been averaging 116.4 points per game. With both teams so easily able to put up points, the only question left is who can run the score up higher.
The Hawks took their victory against the Wizards when the teams last played back in November by a conclusive 136-108. Do the Hawks have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Wizards turn the tables on them? We’ll have the answer soon enough.
Odds
Atlanta is a solid 6.5-point favorite against Washington, according to the latest NBA odds.
The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 6.5-point spread, and stayed right there.
The oddsmakers are expecting fireworks from the offense and set the over/under at a high 252.5 points.
See NBA picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get picks now.
Series History
Atlanta has won 8 out of their last 10 games against Washington.
- Nov 25, 2023 – Atlanta 136 vs. Washington 108
- Nov 01, 2023 – Atlanta 130 vs. Washington 121
- Apr 05, 2023 – Atlanta 134 vs. Washington 116
- Mar 10, 2023 – Atlanta 114 vs. Washington 107
- Mar 08, 2023 – Atlanta 122 vs. Washington 120
- Feb 28, 2023 – Washington 119 vs. Atlanta 116
- Apr 06, 2022 – Atlanta 118 vs. Washington 103
- Mar 04, 2022 – Atlanta 117 vs. Washington 114
- Nov 01, 2021 – Atlanta 118 vs. Washington 111
- Oct 28, 2021 – Washington 122 vs. Atlanta 111
KVSP