NBA Play In Tournament Pick: Atlanta Hawks vs. Miami Heat

The Miami Heat (37-45) and Atlanta Hawks (40-42) face off to claim the 8th Seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs on Friday, April 18 at 9:30 PM ET at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. MyBookie currently shows the Hawks slightly favored with a point spread at -1.5 (+100).

Miami Heat Betting Preview

The Miami Heat have gone 3-2 over their last five games and have great momentum after the first Play-In matchup. This was a 109-90 blowout victory over the Chicago Bulls and helped advance them to this battle.

Miami had a strong first half with 39 points in the first quarter and 32 in the second. Tyler Herro led with 38 points, making nine of his 10 free throws and only missed six of his 19 field goal attempts.

The Bulls were held to 39.8 percent shooting from the field and just 27.0 percent from long range. The Heat made 49.4 percent of their shot attempts and were appealing from deep at 37.1 percent. They also forced the Bulls into 18 turnovers that led to 26 points. Miami Heat performance statistics clearly show their dominance.

The Heat are averaging 110.6 points a game and rank 24th in the league. Their defense allows opponents to get 110.0 points each battle, ranking seventh. This shows no margin for error, but they arguably have an edge over the Hawks in their last two battles.

Atlanta Hawks Betting Preview

The Hawks are 3-2 as well in their last five games, but they are coming off a 120-95 blowout loss against the Orlando Magic. This loss snapped their three-game win streak and was their second loss against the Magic in this five-game stretch (they met three times total within a week).

Orlando got off to a good start with a 32-17 first quarter lead. The Hawks won the next two quarters, but fell apart completely in the fourth with a 41-22 performance and showed that their defense is bleeding them dry. Trae Young led with 28 points on 38.0 percent shooting from the field.

Atlanta shot 38.1 percent from the field but connected on just 19.0 percent from long distance. They allowed the Magic to make 48.4 percent of their shots and 28.2 percent from deep. Rebounding was a solid difference here, as the Hawks had 42 while the Magic collected 54 (12 offensive). Against teams like the Miami Heat, these stats could be concerning.

The Hawks rank fifth in the league for scoring 118.2 points each game. However, their defense has allowed 119.3 points a game, ranking 27th. This does not bode well for their chances of winning if they continue to give up this many points.

Odds, Series Trends, and Free Pick

Check out the best Miami Heat vs. Atlanta Hawks betting odds, courtesy of MyBookie, which currently have the Hawks as 1.5-point favorites. Market analysis suggests the Hawks have a 55.9 percent likelihood of winning.

The Heat are 17-23 on the road while the Hawks are 21-19 at home. These two split the regular season meetings 2-2, with the Heat winning the last two matchups post the Jimmy Butler trade. The Miami Heat have looked appealing in the last two meetings and have good momentum, so they should be able to cover the spread.

Final Pick: Miami Heat +1.5 (-125)