NBA Trends Hawks @ Pacers

The Atlanta Hawks (20-10 SU, 18-12 ATS, 11-17-2 O/U) finished off their eight-game homestand with an emphatic 109-91 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Monday, easily covering the spread for BetOnline NBA sports betting backers as a 5-point favorite in the BetOnline Sportsbook.

The Hawks got 25 points from shooting guard Joe Johnson and 20 points from veteran point guard Mike Bibby.

"It feels great, but we’ve got to stay focused and take care of business," second-year center Al Horford said. "I think we’ve got all the right tools to be a winning team."

"It’s huge," head coach Mike Woodson said. "I’ve never been part of a schedule that had eight straight home games. It can either help you or hurt you, and in our case it helped."

The Hawks made 12 of 23 three-point attempts, including 5-of-6 by Bibby.

"They were running around, scrambling and he was getting a lot of open shots," Nuggets point guard Chauncey Billups said. "When somebody’s got it going like that, you just have to contest. He played great. Even when we made plays, Bibby played a little bit better."

Horford added 16 points and 10 rebounds and Flip Murray added 13 points.

The Hawks will face an Indiana Pacers (10-20 SU, 15-14-1 ATS, 19-10-1 O/U) team that has dropped three straight games in the BetOnline Sportsbook, including a heartbreaking  105-103 loss to the new Orleans Hornets on Sunday, although they managed to cover the spread for NBA sports betting enthusiasts as a 4.5-point home underdog.

Indiana got 34 points from blossoming forward Danny Granger on 12-for-23 shooting from the field and 19 points from rookie center Roy Hibbert. Veteran forward Troy Murphy was the only other Pacer to reach double figures in scoring, adding 16 points on 6-for-12 shooting and 16 rebounds.

"I’ve always had confidence in my ability to score the ball," said Granger, who improved his average to 24.9 points – fifth in the league. "But I’d rather score 20 and win."

Here is a look at tonight’s key trends, followed by my in-depth analysis and NBA Free Pick:

Atlanta is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

Atlanta is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games

Atlanta is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road

The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta’s last 6 games on the road

The total has gone OVER in 5 of Indiana’s last 5 games at home

Indiana is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Atlanta

Indiana is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Atlanta

The total has gone OVER in 8 of Indiana’s last 9 games

NBA Odds

Atlanta Hawks +1 -110

Indiana Pacers -1 -110

Over 207 -110

Under 207 -110

Analysis: I’ll keep this pick short and sweet by simply saying this is contest the ‘new’ Atlanta Hawks won’t lose as they are clearly the better team – and now – as focused as they’ve ever been.

Take the Hawks to cover the spread with an emphatic road win over the struggling Pacers.

NBA Free Picks: Hawks +1 Point/Over 207 Total Points