The Atlanta Hawks have fallen short of expectations this season, as they currently sit in the No. 9 seed in the Eastern Conference heading into Sunday’s matchup with the tanking Brooklyn Nets.

Brooklyn will have star Michael Porter Jr. active for this game, a sign that it may be able to compete in a road date with the Hawks.

The Nets have dropped three games in a row and seven of their last 10, falling to the No. 14 spot in the Eastern Conference standings. As a result, oddsmakers have set the Hawks as double-digit favorites at home in this matchup.

Can Jalen Johnson and company cover the number?

The Hawks have struggled at home this season, going 10-16 straight up, which is a big reason why they’re under .500. 

Let’s take a look at the odds, my favorite player prop and a prediction for this Eastern Conference battle on Feb. 22. 

Nets vs. Hawks Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

Nets +10.5 (-118) Hawks -10.5 (-102)

Moneyline

Total

228.5 (Over -105/Under -115)Nets vs. Hawks How to WatchDate: Sunday, Feb. 22Time: 3:30 p.m. ESTVenue: State Farm ArenaHow to Watch (TV): YES Network, FanDuel Sports Network (Local)Nets record: 15-40Hawks record: 27-31Nets vs. Hawks Injury ReportsNets Injury ReportTyson Etienne – outChaney Johnson – outEJ Liddell – outJosh Minott – outBen Saraf – outZiaire Williams – outHawks Injury ReportRayJ Dennis – outCaleb Houstan – outJonathan Kuminga – outNets vs. Hawks Best NBA Prop BetsHawks Best NBA Prop BetJalen Johnson OVER 18.5 Rebounds and Assists (-134)

Earlier today, I shared in my NBA Best Bets column – Peter’s Points – why Johnson is a great prop target against Brooklyn: 

Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson is averaging 10.7 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game this season, and he’s taking on a Brooklyn Nets team that ranks in the bottom 10 in the NBA in defensive rating and opponent assists per game this season. 

I love this prop for Johnson on Sunday, as he’s averaging 12.5 rebounds and 9.8 assists per game in six games this month, clearing this line in four of them and seven of his last 10 games overall. 

Johnson has stuffed the stat sheet all season long, and he’s averaging a whopping 16.8 rebound chances and 14.8 potential assists per game this season. That gives him a terrific floor when it comes to this prop. 

Nets vs. Hawks Prediction and Pick

I don’t love betting on teams like Brooklyn that aren’t incentivized to win at this point in the season, but I can’t pass up the Nets as 10.5-point underdogs against Atlanta on Sunday.

The Hawks have an NBA-worst 2-10 against the spread record when favored at home, and they haven’t played well over their last 10 games. The Hawks are just 4-6 during that stretch, ranking 23rd in the NBA in net rating (-5.1).

The Nets haven’t been better, ranking 28th in net rating (-11.6), but I can’t back the Hawks to win by more than 10 points in this matchup. Atlanta is six games under .500 as it is this season, and Brooklyn has at least hung around in games on the road, going 12-15-1 against the spread. 

I’ll take the points on Sunday. 

Pick: Nets +10.5 (-118 at DraftKings)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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

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