Washington Wizards at Atlanta Hawks Betting Odds

Betting Odds

Point Spread: Atlanta Hawks (-7.5)
Game Total Line: (197)
(wagering lines available at 5Dimes)

Since starting 6-0, Atlanta (8-7, 5-10 ATS) has struggled. The club is mired in a three-game losing streak, including a 107-101 loss to New Jersey on Tuesday. The Hawks have covered just once in their past seven games.

Pressure is mounting for Joe Johnson and Jamal Crawford to elevate their play. Johnson has been playing with a protective glove, but it's on his non-shooting hand, so it's hard to blame his 41.1 field goal percentage on that. Johnson leads the team at 17.5 points per game, but that's nearly four points off his usual average.

Crawford, meanwhile, has no excuses. Last year's Sixth Man of the Year is scoring just 13.6 points per game, way below his usual mark of 18 or 19 points per outing. There were at least signs of a turnaround in the loss to New Jersey. Crawford had gone eight straight games with 14 points or less, but he was 8-14 from the field for 21 points against the Nets.

Regardless, head coach Larry Drew is going to find himself on the hot seat if there isn't an improvement-and soon. Drew replaced Mike Woodson, who led the Hawks to three straight playoff appearances.

Washington (5-8, 5-8 ATS) may be below .500, but at least the John Wall era has been fun to watch so far-at least when he's on the court. The Wizards won their last outing, a 116-114 nail biter over Philadelphia. They dropped to 1-3 ATS in their past four games, however, failing to cover as a 2.5-point favorite.

Wall was instrumental in Tuesday's overtime win over the Sixers. After missing four games with an ankle injury, he came off the bench to score 25 points-all in the second half. He's leading the Wizards in points, assists and steals per game; if he can stay healthy, he looks like a lock for Rookie of the Year honors.

If Washington is going to make a playoff push, though, it needs to win on the road. The Wizards are 0-6 away from home this season, and not much better against the spread (2-4). At least they have a shot against the Hawks, who are 0-8 ATS at home this season.

Atlanta has won 10 straight games against Washington. The Hawks are 7-3 ATS in that span, though the Wizards are 2-1 in the last three meetings. They met in late October, with Atlanta winning 99-95. The total went under, as it has in four of the last six games between these teams. Bodog has set the total for Thursday's match up at 197 points.

Benson ATS Prediction
Take the OVER 197 at Betus.