Hawks vs. Cavaliers Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Wednesday, April 8

A preview for a potential first-round matchup in the Eastern Conference playoffs takes place on Wednesday night, as the No. 4-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers take on the No. 5-seeded Atlanta Hawks.

Both of these teams are looking to get a little test run ahead of the playoffs, though Cleveland is coming off a win over Memphis on Monday while the Hawks lost a thriller against the New York Knicks.

This season, these teams have split their two matchups, though both of those came all the way back in November. Since then, the Cavs have acquired James Harden and the Hawks have reinvented themselves after trading away Trae Young.

Oddsmakers have the Cavs as favorites on Wednesday night, though they could be without Donovan Mitchell (ankle, questionable) for the second game in a row.

Let’s take a look at the latest odds, my favorite prop target and a prediction for this Eastern Conference showdown.

Hawks vs. Cavaliers Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

Hawks +1.5 (-110)
Cavs -1.5 (-110)

Moneyline

Hawks: +100
Cavs: -120

Total

235.5 (Over -115/Under -105)

Hawks vs. Cavaliers How to Watch

Date: Wednesday, April 8
Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
Venue: Rocket Arena
How to Watch (TV): ESPN
Hawks record: 45-34
Cavs record: 50-29

Hawks vs. Cavaliers Injury Reports

Hawks Injury Report

RayJ Dennis – questionable
Keshon Gilbert – questionable
Jock Landale – out

Cavs Injury Report

Donovan Mitchell – questionable
Thomas Bryant – out
Dean Wade – questionable
Tristan Enaruna – out
Jaylon Tyson – questionable

Hawks vs. Cavaliers Best NBA Prop Bets

Hawks Best NBA Prop Bet

Nickeil Alexander-Walker OVER 3.5 3-Pointers Made (+116)

This is a great matchup for the red-hot Hawks guard, and I shared why in today’s best NBA props column for SI Betting:

Atlanta Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker is averaging over three 3-pointers per game in the 2025-26 season, and he’s coming off a monster 36-point, seven 3-pointer game against the New York Knicks on Monday.

I took NAW in his 3-point prop in that game, and I’m not wavering ahead of Wednesday’s matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Alexander-Walker hit five of his 13 3-point attempts the last time these teams met, and the Cavs have struggled to defend the 3-ball all season long. Cleveland ranks 27th in opponent 3s made per game and 26th in opponent 3-point percentage.

Since NAW is taking such a high volume of 3s (8.1 per game), he’s worth a look in this market. The Hawks guard has made four or more shots from deep in four of his last five games.

Hawks vs. Cavaliers Prediction and Pick

The Hawks are 14-10 as road underdogs this season, and I think they’re worth an early bet on Wednesday with Mitchell’s status up in the air.

There’s an argument to be made that the Cavs would rather land in the No. 4 spot than the No. 3 spot in the East, so they could be “cautious” with Mitchell and potentially lose this game to Atlanta.

While that’s just speculation, there are a lot of numbers that actually support the Hawks in this game.

Cleveland has the second-worst against the spread record as a home favorite in the 2025-26 season (13-23), and it has not played nearly as well as the Hawks since the All-Star break.

Atlanta ranks fourth in the NBA in net rating (+11.5) since then, winning 19 of 23 games. While the Hawks have played an easier schedule, they have won those games by a pretty wide margin.

Meanwhile, the Cavs are 12th in net rating since the break, going 16-8 during that stretch. Cleveland is 25-14 at home, which could be a concern for the Hawks at such a small number, but Mitchell’s status is drawing me away from the Cavs on Wednesday night.

I’ll take the points with the Hawks, who could end up closing as favorites if Mitchell is ruled out.

Pick: Hawks +1.5 (-110 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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