The Thunder and Hawks will meet tonight with two teams who have been going in opposite directions. The Thunder are 8-2 in their last 10 and have played their way to the 2nd seed in the Western Conference while the Hawks are 4-6 over their last 10 and sit as the 11th seed in the Eastern Conference as of today. Let's get into our Thunder vs Hawks Pick and NBA Picks 1/3/24.
Oklahoma City Thunder:
The Thunder have been performing strongly, holding a 23-9 record and sitting as the second seed in the Western Conference. They are entering this game after a win against the Boston Celtics last night.
The Thunder have been fine on the second night of back to backs this season going 3-0.
Key players include Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, Luguentz Dort, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been a significant contributor, averaging around 31.2 points per game.
Atlanta Hawks:
The Hawks have a 13-19 record and are positioned 11th in the Eastern Conference. They recently ended a four-game losing streak with a win against the Washington Wizards but they barely beat the 6-26 Wizards.
Trae Young is leading the team, averaging 28.3 points and 11.3 assists per game. The team also benefits from the contributions of Dejounte Murray and Clint Capela. However, they have some injury concerns, with De'Andre Hunter expected to be out until mid-January.
Game Prediction:
Despite playing the second game of a back-to-back situation and their third game in four nights, the Thunder are favored to win. Their recent performance against stronger opponents and the challenges the Hawks have faced in defense give the Thunder an edge.
The game is expected to be high-scoring, given both teams' offensive capabilities and the Hawks' defensive struggles. An over on the total points is predicted, considering the pace at which both teams play and their scoring averages.
Final Score
Thunder 125 Hawks 117
