Is Atlanta new NBA Finals favorite?
ATLANTA, GA (TheSpread) – The Atlanta Hawks are the hottest team in the NBA, having won 13 straight games, yet not many are talking about Atlanta as a title contender.
The Hawks have won their last 13, and even more impressive, they have covered the spread in all 13 of those victories despite spreads growing and growing with each win. Atlanta has the top record in the Eastern Conference by 5 games at 34-8 while a team like Cleveland is 12 games back at 22-20.
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, the Hawks still are not the favorite to win the Eastern Conference this year, as they are getting 13/5 odds. Cleveland is still favored with 2/1 odds. When it comes to the NBA Championship, Atlanta has 15/2 odds, which is tied with Chicago and Dallas. Golden State is the current favorite to win it all with 5/1 odds, while Cleveland has 11/2 odds.
The Hawks have been solid on both sides of the ball, as they are seventh in the NBA in scoring at 103.1 points per game, and they lead the league in scoring defense, allowing just 96.3 points per contest. The team has very balanced scoring, with five players averaging double figures. Jeff Teague is leading the way with 17.2 points and 7.3 assists per contest.
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