Hawks at 76ers – Watch out for Hotlanta

BetOnline NBA Basketball Sports Betting Odds: PHILADELPHIA -2, Total 193

Here are some of the NBA basketball betting trends as they relate to this matchup:

* ATL is 9-2-1 ATS in its last 12 games

* ATL has won nine of its last 12 games SU

* ATL has played four of its last five gams OVER the total

* ATL has covered three of its last nine road games

* ATL has lost six of its last seven road games SU

* ATL has played four of its last five road games OVER the total

* PHIL has covered two of its last seven games

* PHIL has played six of its last seven games OVER the total

* PHIL has covered two of its last nine home games

* PHIL has won four of its last five home games SU

Also….

* ATL has covered six of the last eight meetings

* ATL has won four of the last six meetings SU

* Four of the last six meetings have gone UNDER the total

* ATL has covered four of the last six meetings as the road team

* PHIL has won seven of the last nine meetings SU as the home team

* ATL has had the shootng edge in seven of the last eight meetings

* PHIL has had the rebounding edge in four of the last six meetings

The Hawks recently went through the meat grinder, having to face NBA powers San Antonio, Boston and the Lakers in consecutive games, but this team has covered ten of its last 12 games and maintained a hold on fourth place in the East, which will bring a home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. As far as action against the Sixers is concerned, Atlanta was obviously not intimidated in the City of Brotherly Love last season, winning both meetings in the Wachovia Center. This is a team with some mental toughness, as they exhibited last year in extending the Celtics to seven games as a prohibitive underdog in the opening playoff round.

Tony DiLeo, the "company man" who took over as interim coach after the firing of Maurice Cheeks, has done a good job of having his Sixer team playing hard most night. But this team has faltered defensively in recent outings, as Philadelphia has surrendered 50% or more from the field five times in the last eight games. There’s no surprise that there was just one cover in those five games. Atlanta showed that it can shoot poorly (39%) and still beat a good team when they topped the Lakers by ten points Sunday at the Phillips Arena (of course, L.A. shot even worse in that one). After you get past the three elite teams in the East – Cleveland, Boston and Orlando -you’ve got the Hawks, who could get beyond the first round this time and be dangerous again.

Atlanta has lost six of its last seven road games, but the Hawks are the team playing better basketball right now. Philadelphia’s Samuel Dalembert, one of the more imposing defensive enforcers in the middle, is being bothered by a calf injury, and if he is not 100% that obviously helps Atlanta’s cause a bit more. He’ll be happy to take points with Atlanta, the two-point underdog in the BetOnline NBA pro basketball sports betting odds.

JAY’S PLAY: ATLANTA +2 ***

(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)