Cavaliers vs. Hawks Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Thursday, Oct. 29

Both the Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks will play the second night of a back-to-back on Thursday night, as Cleveland came up with a big win over Washington on Wednesday.

Donovan Mitchell and Co. have now won three games in a row and are right back in the mix for a top spot in the Eastern Conference after reaching the conference finals in the 2025-26 season.

Cleveland re-tooled the roster in the offseason, adding Peyton Watson to the core group of Mitchell, James Harden, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. The hope is that he’ll provide the wing help they’ve needed to get over the hump in the East.

After a 2-0 start, the Hawks have lost three games in a row, losing twice to Houston and once to Miami to fall under .500. The Hawks were a playoff team in the 2025-26 season, but they were aided by a late run against mainly tanking teams to earn the No. 6 seed.

In the NBA’s new environment with the draft rules – and the Eastern Conference improving – it may be tough for the Hawks to get back to the same spot.

Still, they’re favored at home against a Cavs team that is off to a 3-1 start but has been able to cover the spread just once in four games.

Here’s a breakdown of the odds, a player prop to bet, my prediction and more for this Eastern Conference battle.

Cavaliers vs. Hawks Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

Cavs +1.5 (-115)
Hawks -1.5 (-105)

Moneyline

Cavs: -105
Hawks: -115

Total

237.5 (Over -112/Under -108)

Cavaliers vs. Hawks How to Watch

Date: Thursday, Oct. 29
Time: 8:00 p.m. EST
Venue: State Farm Arena
How to Watch (TV): NBA TV
Cavs record: 3-1
Hawks record: 2-3

Cavaliers vs. Hawks Injury Reports

Cavs Injury Report

Not submitted yet

Hawks Injury Report

Not submitted yet

Cavaliers vs. Hawks Best NBA Prop Bets

Cavs Best NBA Prop Bet

Donovan Mitchell OVER 9.5 Rebounds and Assists (-119)

In today’s edition of my best NBA props for SI Betting, I shared why Mitchell may be undervalued against Atlanta:

This season, Mitchell is averaging 24.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game, taking a step forward from the 2026 playoffs when he saw his assist numbers plummet.

The Cavs star has picked up 13, nine, 12 and 12 rebounds and assists over his first four games, and now he’s taking on an Atlanta Hawks team that is just 24th in the league in opponent assists per game this season.

The Hawks have played a bunch of high-scoring games and both of these teams are in the top 11 in the league in pace (Atlanta is No. 4). So, there should be a few extra possessions for Mitchell to continue his strong start as a passer (and rebounder) this season.

I think this line is a little low for the All-Star guard, and it’s worth noting that Mitchell averaged 4.5 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game in the 2025-26 season. He should be in the mix for 10 or more rebounds and assists on Thursday.

Cavaliers vs. Hawks Prediction and Pick

So far this season, the Hawks have combined for at least 230 points in four of their five games, and they haven’t scored less than 110 points in a single matchup. After a 246-point showing in a loss to Miami on Wednesday, the Hawks are fourth in pace, seventh in offensive rating, 13th in defensive rating and 18th in opponent points per game.

While Atlanta held Charlotte to just 81 points in its second game of the season, it has allowed 120 or more in every other game, going 4-1 to the OVER – the best OVER mark in the NBA.

The Cavs have been an elite offensive team in the Kenny Atkinson era, and they’re 11th in offensive rating and pace to open this season. Cleveland has hit the OVER twice, combining for OVER 237.5 points in two of its four games.

This is a sky-high total, but I expect both of these offenses to thrive in an uptempo environment. The Hawks’ defense hasn’t been nearly as good as expected this season, and Cleveland is a far more talented offensive team than Miami, which dropped 129 points on the Hawks on Wednesday.

Rather than take a side with both teams yet to release injury reports, I’ll bet the OVER in this Eastern Conference clash.

Pick: OVER 237.5 (-112 at DraftKings)

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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