Miami Heat vs. Atlanta Hawks Prediction, Preview, Picks & Odds - 1/21/2022

Time: 7:30 p.m. ET

Venue: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA

Where to watch: BSSE-ATL, BSSUN

DraftKings: Hawks -1

BetMGM: Hawks -1.5

Caesars: NL

Heat: 29-16 (2nd place, Eastern Conference)

Hawks: 19-25 (12th place, Eastern Conference)

For the third time in nine days, the Miami Heat and Atlanta Hawks will play a basketball game against each other. And for the third time in nine days, expect a Miami victory when the teams meet in State Farm Arena on Friday.

The Heat have won six of their last seven with two of those wins coming against the Hawks over the past week and some change. Miami won 115-91 at Atlanta on Jan. 12, followed by a 124-118 win at home two days later.

Miami is coming off a 104-92 win against the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday. Caleb Martin had a team-high 26 points, and Bam Adebayo had 20 points and 11 rebounds in his second game back since returning from thumb surgery.

Keep in mind that game speaks more to the volume of the players that weren’t available. For Portland, Damian Lillard wasn’t playing. For Miami, Jimmy Butler was ejected; Kyle Lowry didn’t play; Tyler Herro also didn’t play. So to have Adebayo rounding into his form, and having a player like Martin emerge, was a terrific recipe for Miami to have in terms of keeping pace with the top of the conference.

The Heat have covered seven of the last eight and 8-2 in the last 10. They’ve even seen some underdog luck in that stretch by going 3-0 ATS as a dog. The most recent was that Jan. 12 trip to Atlanta when Miami was a 2.5-point underdog and won by 24.

And while the books may give some leeway to Atlanta for being at home, the fact of the matter is the Hawks still lost 10 straight at home before winning consecutive games against the Milwaukee Bucks and Minnesota Timberwolves, with the latter coming in a 134-122 win on Wednesday.

Trae Young had 37 points to go with 14 assists on 10 of 17 shooting, and DeAndre Hunter had 22 points with all five starters scoring in double figures. Atlanta outscored Minnesota 73-49 in the second half to squeeze out that 12-point victory.

"I think we've just got to keep doing what we're doing and take it one game at a time and not look too far ahead," Young said.

"That's the way you hope your team responds to a challenge," said Hawks coach Nate McMillan.

At time of writing this, the game is currently a pick-em, but if the line moves toward the Hawks, that favors the Heat; they’re 9-2 as a road dog this season while only 6-8 as a road favorite. While you should expect the latter to be the case, don’t mistake the Heat for pulling this one out. Even with Herro and Lowry out, Butler and Adebayo are more than willing to carry the load. Heat by 12

The Heat are 4-0 ATS in their last four off one day of rest.

The Heat are 4-0 ATS in their last four against a team with a losing record.

The Hawks are 1-7 ATS in their last eight following an ATS win AND straight-up win.

PG: Gabe Vincent

SG: Duncan Robinson
SF: Jimmy Butler
PF: P.J. Tucker
C: Bam Adebayo

PG: Trae Young

SG: Kevin Huerter
SF: De'Andre Hunter
PF: John Collins
C: Onyeka Okongwu