Pistons vs. Hawks Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Sunday, Feb. 23

The Pistons are 6-2 against the spread as road favorites this season.

The Pistons are 6-2 against the spread as road favorites this season. / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

The Detroit Pistons are rolling right now, opening up a three-game cushion on the No. 7-seeded Orlando Magic heading into Sunday’s matchup with the Atlanta Hawks.

Atlanta has fallen to the No. 9 seed in the East and could be falling further with Jalen Johnson out for the season and De’Andre Hunter and Bogdan Bogdanovic no longer with the franchise after being moved at the deadline.

Oddsmakers have set the Hawks as slight underdogs at home against this Pistons squad that has won five games in a row and is arguably the biggest surprise in the league after winning just 14 games last season.

Here’s a full breakdown of Sunday’s matchup, including the latest odds, players to watch in the prop market, and my prediction. 

Pistons vs. Hawks Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

• Pistons -3 (-105)
• Hawks +3 (-115)

Moneyline

• Pistons: -142
• Hawks: +120

Total

• 238 (Over -108/Under -112)

Pistons vs. Hawks How to Watch

• Date: Sunday, Feb. 23
• Time: 6:00 p.m. EST
• Venue: State Farm Arena
• How to Watch (TV): Bally Sports (Local), NBA League Pass
• Pistons record: 30-26
• Hawks record: 26-30

Pistons vs. Hawks Injury Reports

Pistons Injury Report

• Tolu Smith – out
• Bobi Klintman – out
• Ron Harper Jr. – out
• Jaden Ivey – out
• Daniss Jenkins – out

Hawks Injury Report

• Kobe Bufkin – out
• Jalen Johnson – out
• Trae Young – probable
• Larry Nance Jr. – out
• Daeqwon Plowden – out
• Vit Krejci – out

Pistons vs. Hawks Best NBA Prop Bets Today

Detroit Pistons Best NBA Prop Bet

• Cade Cunningham OVER 9.5 Assists (-125)

This season, the Hawks have been a below-average defensive team, ranking 26th in opponent points per game despite being 15th in the league in defensive rating. The reason? Atlanta plays at a fast pace that leads to a ton of high-scoring games.

So, don’t be shocked if Cade Cunningham has a big game moving the ball tonight. This season, Cunningham has 11, 13, and 14 assists in his three games against Atlanta, which ranks 25th in the NBA in opponent assists per game. Since Cade is averaging 9.3 assists per game (a career-high), I wouldn’t be shocked to see the All-Star hit double-digits on Sunday. 

Atlanta Hawks Best NBA Prop Bet

• Zaccharie Risacher OVER 11.5 Points (-130)

Earlier today, I shared in my NBA Best Bets column – Peter’s Points – why No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher is one of the top prop targets in the NBA tonight: 

Atlanta Hawks rookie wing Zaccharie Risacher has a huge role in the Atlanta offense now that Bogdan Bogdanovic and De’Andre Hunter are no longer on the roster, and he’s averaging 13.8 points on 10.8 shots per game since the trade deadline.

Risacher played just over 23 minutes in his last game but still took 15 shots (although he shot just 4-for-15 from the field).

There are going to be growing pains with the rookie, but he’s a nightly starter that is starting to see more and more looks on offense. Over this five-game stretch, Risacher is shooting 50.0 percent from the field and from 3. He may be undervalued at this number against Detroit. 

Pistons vs. Hawks Prediction and Pick

The Pistons picked up a big-time road win over the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night, and they are now 6-2 against the spread when favored on the road.

While the Hawks are solid this season as home underdogs (8-4 against the spread), they have much less margin for error without Hunter, Bogdanovic, and Johnson. On top of that, the Hawks struggled on offense, scoring just 108 points, in their first game out of the All-Star break against the Orlando Magic. 

All three of the games between these teams have been close, with two of them being decided by two or fewer points. The Pistons have taken two of those matchups, including a 10-point road win in Atlanta.

I like them to extend their winning streak on Sunday. Over their last 10 games, the Pistons rank sixth in the NBA in net rating while the Hawks are just 16th. Detroit is peaking at the right time as it aims to lock up a playoff spot. 

Pick: Pistons Moneyline (-142 at DraftKings)

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on  BetStamp here.

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