How Will Lakers Hold Up in Second Game of Back-To-Back?
The Lakers vs Hawks Game Odds Have Atlanta Favored by Multiple Possessions
In the second game of a back-to-back, the Los Angeles Lakers don’t even know who will be in the starting lineup in their game against the Atlanta Hawks tonight.
The Lakers were crushed on the road last night, losing to the Houston Rockets 135-119. Earlier in the game, the deficit reached 30 points. Now, the Lakers have Anthony Davis and LeBron James both listed as questionable in the second game of the back-to-back.
Meanwhile, the Hawks finally earned a win in their last matchup against the Raptors, earning a 126-125 win over the Raptors. Dejounte Murray is listed as a game-time decision with a hamstring injury. But funny enough, he’s been heavily rumored in Lakers trades as the NBA Trade Deadline approaches.
However, if the Lakers lose tonight’s game against the Hawks, Los Angeles would fall below .500. More questions would arise if the Lakers should even make moves at the deadline for a postseason run if they can’t even get above .500 before the deadline gets here.
Oddsmakers have the Lakers listed at +5, with the total currently at 247. There’s a very high likelihood the Lakers will play without at least one star in this game. That’s why the Hawks are solid favorites at home, despite just 9-13 in their home arena.
Check out the Lakers vs Hawks game odds for tonight’s NBA matchup.
Lakers vs Hawks 
Day/Time:
Location: State Farm Arena
Streaming: Watch Live Sports
Lakers vs Hawks Game Odds & Trends
The Lakers have only gone 21-27 against the spread this year. Meanwhile, the Over has hit in 27 of 48 games on the season.
Los Angeles has only gone 7-16 on the road, but the Hawks are just 9-13 at home this season. Something will have to give in this matchup.
Meanwhile, Atlanta has earned a cover in only 11 games all season. Still, the Hawks have nailed the Over in 26 of 46 games this season.
The Lakers won the last two meetings against the Hawks. However, this game is the first of two this season.
Do The Lakers Even Care?
After a blowout loss to the Rockets, LeBron James was asked about the game in his post-game press conference. He acknowledged that the Lakers didn’t get back in transition. They allowed Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green to combine for 64 points and allowed three other NBA players to score at least 15 points in the loss.
The defense was lazy, while the offense wasn’t good enough to stick around against Houston.
James, Davis, D’Angelo Russell, and Rui Hachimura have been solid offensive weapons. But nobody other than those four were consistent enough in the loss to Houston.
This is why the Lakers are in the market looking for a significant impact player. It just might be too late at this point.
Should The Hawks Hold Onto Dejounte Murray?
The trade rumors are only rumors. Nothing has officially happened.
Atlanta Hawks head coach Quin Snyder has reportedly lobbied to keep Dejounte Murray on the Hawks, per NBA Insider Marc Stein.
Murray has looked really good this season, averaging a career-high 21.4 points per game with five rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.3 steals per game.
Next season, Murray will earn a $114 million extension in a four-year deal. The Hawks aren’t sure if they’ll pay that for Murray. Therefore, they’d trade him for assets before the deadline concludes.
However, with Murray’s strides this season, it might be worth it to hold onto Murray after all.
The Hawks are still in 10th place in the Eastern Conference but have a backcourt that includes Trae Young and Murray. They’re just a couple of pieces away from being a legitimate contender.
The Hawks Can’t Stop a Nosebleed
The Atlanta Hawks have allowed 120.6 points per 100 possessions this season. That’s good for 26th in the NBA.
On top of that, the Hawks have given up an effective field goal percentage of 57.9%. That’s 29th in the NBA and one of the worst defensive rates in the league.
They’re also weak on the defensive glass, allowing 28.6% of offensive rebounds, and are only average at holding NBA teams off the foul line.
Atlanta will earn more than 14% of turnovers per game. That’s a legitimate number that can be reached against the Lakers. However, the Lakers are shooting an effective field goal percentage of 56.1% and have added a free throw rate of 21.9.
The Lakers should at least get good looks from the floor and likely will add more offensive rebounds against the Hawks.
Meanwhile, the Hawks are effective on the offensive glass and also get to the foul line at a high rate. The issue is that the Lakers are top-ten defensively in both of those categories.
The Hawks have also shot an effective field goal percentage of 53.8%, which is 20th in the NBA. Atlanta will keep the turnovers down and likely win that battle against the Lakers. However, the Hawks won’t be able to emphasize areas where they’re really good against the Lakers.
Without LeBron James and Anthony Davis, things will get tricky. But we don’t know if Murray can play in this game, either. All of these guys are game-time decisions.
Neither team is very high in the NBA standings. However, after reviewing the Lakers vs Hawks game odds, our NBA predictions and NBA free picks have the Lakers covering the 5-point spread at -110.
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