The fans at US Airways Center will be treated to a game between the Atlanta Hawks and the Phoenix Suns when they take their seats on Friday.
Atlanta At Phoenix
When: 9:00 PM ET, Friday, March 1, 2013
Where: US Airways Center, Phoenix, Arizona
TV: 9 p.m. ET, SPSO (Atlanta), FSAZ (Phoenix)
PREDICTION: Hawks 100, Suns 92
Oddsmakers currently have the Hawks listed as 3½-point favorites versus the Suns, while the game’s total is sitting at 196.
Atlanta decided not to deal away Josh Smith at the deadline and has reaped the benefits of that decision during the four-game winning streak. Smith has averaged 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists during that span to support Horford, who has put up 26 points and 14 boards over the last four contests. Those two have opened things up on the outside for point guard Jeff Teague to distribute and score. The Hawks are up to fourth place in the Eastern Conference with their latest run and are within shouting distance of the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks in the second and third spots. A big part of their recent success has been an ability to win on the road, where they have taken five in a row by an average of 11.8 points.
Atlanta was a 102-91 winner in its last match on the road against the Jazz. They covered the 3.5-point spread as underdogs, while the total score of 193 sent UNDER bettors to the payout window.
Atlanta:
Team record: 33-23 SU, 26-28-2 ATS
Current streak: won 4 straight games.
is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of last 9 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
The total has gone OVER in 6 of last 8 games on the road
When playing on Friday are 5-5
Before playing LA Lakers are 5-5
After playing Utah are 5-5
After a win are 6-4
Phoenix is trying to stay out of the West basement, which it currently shares with the Sacramento Kings and the New Orleans Hornets. The Suns put together a strong defensive effort in San Antonio on Wednesday, when the Spurs went 0-for-10 from the field in overtime, and O’Neal has turned back the clock with some big performances. The 34-year-old former star has pulled down 13 rebounds in each of the last two games and scored a team-high 22 points at San Antonio. Phoenix is giving its bench plenty of time lately, led by O’Neal, Wesley Johnson and the Morris twins. Marcus Morris had his best game since joining the team with 11 points in 24 minutes on Wednesday, outscoring his brother by three points.
The Suns were a 105-101 winner in their most recent outing on the road against the Spurs. They covered the 16-point spread as underdogs, while the total score (206) made winners of OVER bettors.
Phoenix:
Team record: 20-39 SU, 23-34-2 ATS
Current streak: won 2 straight games.
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of last 12 games at home
is 15-3 SU in its last 18 games when playing at home against Atlanta
is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 7 of last 9 games when playing at home against Atlanta
When playing on Friday are 8-2
Before playing Toronto are 3-7
After playing San Antonio are 4-6
After a win are 3-7
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