NBA Basketball Matchup: Pistons vs Hawks
The Detroit Pistons have won two in a row and as this is being written they are beating up on Washington so a third is likely.
Detroit Pistons (20-33) vs Atlanta Hawks (32-23)
Friday April 6
Philips Arena – Atlanta, GA
7:30PM
Moneyline: No money line currently listed
Spread: Atlanta -9
O/U: 186
Detroit
They have been gathering wins lately beating up on the weaker sisters of the Eastern Conference.
This team has zero chance of making the playoffs at this point but are playing solid down the stretch, giving an honest effort in games other teams are just packing it in.
Big man Greg Monroe is leading the charge for the Pistons. He has had double-doubles in three of the past six games and is a great team player who passes well and involves his teammates. He and rookie point guard Brandon Knight are the future of the franchise.
As they develop so will the Pistons chances of returning to the glory days of the Bad Boys. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Atlanta
The Atlanta Hawks are keeping their head down in the Southeast Division.
Miami and Orlando are getting all the attention, a lot of it negative, while Atlanta is biding its time hoping to prove they can win in the playoffs. If they can get center Al Horford back by then and he can make a contribution this team could surprise with the right matchup.
They are a surprisingly good defensive team, ranked 5th in the league and giving up just 93ppg.
The Hawks might have a better shot in the playoffs this time around because they have gotten better at point guard. Jeff Teague is finally delivering on some of the promise he showed in college. He is far from an All-Star but he has become a reliable performer and is key to their defensive prowess.
He along with power forward Josh Smith give them a plus defender at two key positions.
Spread Pick: Detroit +9
O/U Pick: Under
Score Prediction: Atlanta 90 – Detroit 84
