The Atlanta Hawks (38-31) and Houston Rockets (41-27) will face off in the NBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 8:00 p.m. ET from the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. The game will broadcast live on NBA TV.
The Rockets are 3.5-point favorites over the Hawks on the spread (Rockets -3.5), with the over/under set at 226.5 total points. Houston is a -155 favorite to win outright on the moneyline, while Atlanta is +130 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Hawks vs. Rockets predictions and NBA picks for Friday, March 20.
Hawks vs Rockets Prediction, Pick
- Hawks vs Rockets pick: Nickeil Alexander-Walker Over 18.5 Points (-105, BetMGM)
My Rockets vs. Hawks best bet is on Nickeil Alexander-Walker to score over 18.5 points in tonight's game. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NBA odds page.
Hawks vs Rockets Odds
| Hawks Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+3.5 -108 | 226.5 -110o / -110u | +130 |
| Rockets Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-3.5 -112 | 226.5 -110o / -110u | -155 |
Hawks vs Rockets NBA Preview
The Hawks are the hottest team in the NBA, currently riding an 11-game winning streak. In that span, they rank top two in the league in offensive rating, defensive rating, and net rating. On Wednesday, they cruised to a 135-120 over the Mavericks.
CJ McCollum (24) and Nickeil Alexander-Walker (22) both went over 20 points, leading seven Hawks in double figures.
Jalen Johnson did not have his best shooting night, but he finished with 17 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists, nearly missing yet another triple-double. They will remain in Texas to take on the Rockets tonight.
The Rockets will be playing the fourth game of a five-game homestand.
After narrowly escaping against the Pelicans, they had a pair of key games against the Lakers. They missed an opportunity, as the Lakers pulled out two clutch-time victories.
As a result, Los Angeles holds the tiebreaker over the Rockets and is essentially four games up on them for the third seed.
That Luka Doncic guy is pretty good, so the Rockets shouldn't hang their heads, but clutch time has been an issue for them all season. They are 18-20 (accounting for 20 of their 27 losses) in clutch time while posting a -8.3 net rating.
While their lack of a true point guard, aside from Fred VanVleet, is certainly a factor, they will need Kevin Durant to be better in those situations as well.
Despite a quality matchup against the Lakers, Durant scored 18 points in both games and has now been held under 20 points in three of his last four games.
However, he has done well against the Hawks previously, so he will look to bounce back tonight. He led the Rockets to an 18-point victory in Atlanta in the first meeting this season.
Tonight, the Rockets will have their regular rotation while the Hawks will be without Jonathan Kuminga, who continues to battle a knee injury.
Hawks vs Rockets Predictions, Betting Analysis
Nickeil Alexander-Walker Over 18.5 Points
It has been a big week for Alexander-Walker as he scored a career-high 41 points on Monday against the Magic.
He has now scored 19 points in six of his last seven games. While Monday was his first game over 30 points, his strong play tracks further.
Over his last 20 games, he is averaging 20.5 points per game and cleared this line in 13 of them.
His strong play has helped the Hawks temporarily get out of the Play-In Tournament and into sixth place in the East.
Tonight, I like to continue with his seventh 20-point game in his past eight and second consecutive against the Rockets.
Jalen Johnson 10+ Rebounds
That first meeting did not include Johnson, and tonight we may be getting a slight discount on his rebounds.
Johnson has pulled down 10 rebounds in 61% of his games this season.
He has had 10 rebounds in each of his last three games, with 13 rebound chances in all three.
While the Rockets allow the fewest rebounds, they have allowed at least nine rebounds to Herb Jones, Doncic, and DeAndre Ayton in recent games.
Amen Thompson 7+ Rebounds
Meanwhile, Amen Thompson has had seven rebounds in eight of his last 10 games.
He also has seven rebounds in two of his last three games against Atlanta, averaging 7.7 in that span.
Atlanta is 26th in rebounds allowed this season.
Reed Sheppard 10+ Points
Reed Sheppard had 13 points in the Rockets' victory in Atlanta.
He has scored 10 points in eight of his last 10 games.
Hawks vs Rockets Best Bet
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker Over 18.5 Points (-105)
Hawks vs Rockets Parlay Picks
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker 20+ Points
- Jalen Johnson 10+ Rebounds
- Reed Sheppard 10+ Points
- Amen Thompson 7+ Rebounds
Parlay Odds: +650 via DraftKings
