A pair of Eastern Conference playoff contenders face off in NBA Cup play on Friday night, as the Atlanta Hawks host the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Cleveland’s quarterfinal hopes in the NBA Cup are still alive, but it needs a win and one by a wide margin to secure a wild card spot in the East.

The Cavs are favored on the road in this matchup with Trae Young (knee) out for the Hawks, but Atlanta is 7-3 in its last 10 games.

The Hawks are under .500 at home, but can they hold off a Cleveland team that hasn’t been nearly as dominant as it was last season, going 12-7 straight up and 6-13 against the spread in 19 games.

Here’s a breakdown of this game, the latest odds, my favorite prop and a prediction on Friday night. 

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

Moneyline

Total

Cavs Injury ReportHawks Injury ReportCavs Best NBA Prop Bet

I think Hawks sharpshooter Vit Krejci is a little undervalued at home in this market against a Cavs team that is 18th in the NBA in opponent 3-point percentage. 

Krejci is shooting a ridiculous 49.4 percent from deep this season, knocking down 2.6 3s per game. He’s had a bigger role since Trae Young went down, and I expect that to continue against one of the best offenses in the NBA in Cleveland.

So far this season, Krejci has eight games (out of 15) with multiple shots made from beyond the arc.

I’m going to take the points with Atlanta in this matchup, as the Cavs have only covered the spread in six of their 19 games with an average scoring margin of +4.0 in their games.

The Hawks, on the other hand, have been great since Young went down (9-5 overall), and are 5-4 against the spread as underdogs.

The Cavs do have a better net rating (+3.9) than the Hawks (+1.6), but I’m not sold on them winning by this wide of a margin against a relatively healthy Atlanta team. 

Atlanta has a lot of wing depth and size to deal with Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland, and it only lost by eight in Cleveland earlier this season. 

I think this game remains within two possessions on Friday night. 

Pick: Hawks +5.5 (-102 at DraftKings)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Find Peter Dewey’s NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on  BetStamp here.

Claim the latest DraftKings promo code offer today. Sign up and win your first $5 bet to get $300 in bonus bets instantly +3 months of NBA League Pass.