The Atlanta Hawks and Miami Heat play their second to last game of the season on Friday night in preparation for the upcoming NBA playoffs. The Heat can clinch the Eastern Conference number 1 seed with a win. The Hawks are battling for playing position with the Charlotte Hornets and the Brooklyn Nets. In a game with so much on the line, which team is the right NBA pick?
Atlanta Hawks vs. Miami Heat
Friday, April 08, 2022 – 08:00 PM EDT at FTX Arena
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are coming off of a 118-103 win over the Washington Wizards. The win helped the Hawks stay in 9th place and kept pace with Brooklyn for the battle for the 8th seed. Brooklyn and Atlanta are both 42-38 on the year. Atlanta needs to win and hope Brooklyn drops 2 games in order to take the 8 seed. Otherwise, they will be hosting the first play-in game against the Charlotte Hornets, and then facing the loser of the Brooklyn Nets vs Cleveland Cavaliers.
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The Hawks have a chance to make a statement here against the Miami Heat. The Heat are one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference and play some of the best defense. The Hawks are an average defensive team, but they will beat you with their offense, which is brilliant. Atlanta will look to have a big game on the offensive front to gear them up for the defensive grinder that is the NBA playoffs.
Bogdan Bogdanovic is a piece that quietly means a lot to the Atlanta Hawks team. While Trae Young gets the most attention, and rightfully so, Bogdanovic is key in providing a secondary scoring creation and also leading the offense while Young rests on the bench. Bogdanovic is averaging 15 points in 29 minutes and is a crucial cog in the Atlanta Hawks offense. While Trae Young's big nights often get the headlines, it is Bogdanovic's quiet efficiency that usually seals the win.
Miami Heat
We have an interesting situation here with the Miami Heat. They could lose this game and win on Sunday against the Orlando Magic and still have the number one seed. If Atlanta wins, it makes things harder on the Brooklyn Nets. Will Miami rest their players in order to potentially avoid a first-round matchup with Kevin Durant and the Nets? I don't think that that will be Miami's mindset, but it is a possibility that we must consider this when handicapping this game.
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Miami will probably rest veterans such as Dewayne Dedmon, Markieff Morris, and PJ Tucker who are all dealing with nagging injuries. This, of course, makes sense to get these older players in top shape for the brutal physical play that the playoffs feature. So we can expect a short rotation for Miami. Fortunately, none of these three players are offensive juggernauts and should not hurt Miami's case for keeping pace with the high-powered Hawks.
Bogdan Bogdanovic vs. Tyler Herro
Bogdan Bogdanovic and Tyler Herro are both keys to their team scoring when their all-stars are on the bench. Both men take over the offense during minutes when the starters are resting, which can be key to covering a spread. Both are great catch-and-shoot marksmen. Both are underrated at creating quality looks off the dribble.
Whoever is able to lead their team in these crucial minutes while the starters rest will have a distinct advantage tonight. If Bogdanovic is able to outscore Tyler Herro, the Hawks have a great chance to get the upset win. If Tyler Herro has a huge night, the Heat have a strong likelihood to get the win.
Best Bet
There are 2 strong ways to approach this game. The first is by attacking the total. Miami's defense is one of the best defensive units in the league. They Iike to play a slower pace, especially with the lead. Miami has a great chance to dominate this Atlanta Hawks team.
Let's be frank, this Hawks team can be a tad overrated. They had excellent luck in their run to make the Conference Finals last season. This season they have not shown a lot to warrant all the respect they receive as a top team in the East. The Hawks are currently in 9th place for a reason.
Miami should win this game by inflicting their style of play upon the Hawks. Miami has one of the best transition defenses in the league, which will limit the Hawks opportunities to get out and run. Miami will also be much better during the bench minutes. We have two Best Bets for today. The 1st is the Atlanta Hawks/Miami Heat Under 229.5. The second is the Miami Heat -4.5
NBA Pick: Atlanta Hawks/Miami Heat Under 229.5 (-110) at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
NBA Pick: Miami Heat -4.5 (-110) at BetOnline
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
