Cooper Albers takes you through his preview, prediction and pick for Friday’s NBA matchup between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks.

The NBA Cup group stage concludes on Friday night, as the Atlanta Hawks host the Cleveland Cavaliers at State Farm Arena. While the Toronto Raptors have clinched East Group A, the Cavs remain in the wild-card hunt for the knockout round — while the Hawks have been eliminated from Cup contention. 

Cleveland (12–7, 2–1 NBA Cup) has won four of its last six games to jump to fifth place in the East, but aims to rebound from a Monday road loss to the Raptors. Atlanta (11–8, 1–2 NBA Cup), meanwhile, dropped to sixth in the East after following up a five-game winning streak with three losses in its last five outings, punctuated by a 19-point road loss to the Washington Wizards.

The conference rivals first squared off in Cleveland earlier this month, where the Cavs secured a 117–109 win behind a 37-point performance from Donovan Mitchell.

Here’s a look at the Injury Report:

Cleveland Cavaliers

Out: Sam Merrill (hand), Max Strus (foot) 

Questionable: Dean Wade (knee)

Probable: Jarrett Allen (finger)

Atlanta Hawks

Out: N’Faly Dante (knee), Nikola Djurisic (elbow), Trae Young (knee)

Questionable: Kristaps Porzingis (illness)

Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET. Cleveland enters as a 6.5-point road favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook, while Atlanta is listed as a +195 underdog. The game’s total is set at 248.5 points.

Cavaliers vs. Hawks Preview

Cleveland Cavaliers Preview

Cleveland isn’t quite the regular-season powerhouse from last season, but it’s remained solid and has lost just four games since the calendar flipped to November. The Cavaliers pair a top-ten offense with a decent defense to produce a slightly above-average 12th-ranked net rating.

The Cavs live and die by the three, leading the NBA with more than 44 attempts per game for just over 15 makes — the second most in the league, despite underwhelming efficiency. Cleveland ranks 11th in points per game, led by star guard Donovan Mitchell, who’s averaging 29.9 points and 5.5 assists per game on impressive 50/38/83 shooting splits.

On defense, the Cavs rank fourth in blocks and opponent turnovers, turning their takeaways into points on the other end. While its rebounding is middling at best, Cleveland limits second-chance opportunities and shuts down the paint behind Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.

Atlanta Hawks Preview

Even without star point guard Trae Young, the Hawks have held their own in a competitive Eastern Conference. Atlanta ranks near the middle of the pack on both ends of the floor, producing a perfectly average 15th-ranked net rating. 

The scoring totals might not show it, but Atlanta ranks sixth in field-goal percentage (48.7) and ninth in perimeter efficiency (37.2), while also leading the NBA in assists per game. Their offensive attack is anchored by Jalen Johnson, who’s having a career-best season and leading the Hawks with 21.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, and seven assists a night.

On the other end, the Hawks are one of the better teams at defending the perimeter, holding squads below 35% from downtown. Despite having a poor glass-cleaning effort, Atlanta swats the seventh-most blocks and swipes the eighth-most steals, ranking in the top-three in generating points off turnovers.

Cavaliers vs. Hawks Pick, Best Bet

The Cavs and Hawks, adjacent in the standings, should produce an evenly-matched back-and-forth on Friday night. While Cleveland has a slight edge on paper, Atlanta’s three-point defense will likely keep things competitive. The Hawks might have lost by eight points in their last encounter with the Cavs, but having the Atlanta crowd backing them this time around could give them just the boost they need to keep things close — or walk away with the win.

Count on the Hawks to cover the 6.5-point spread at home.

Best Bet: Atlanta Hawks +6.5 Points (-110)