Pistons vs. Hawks Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Wednesday, Jan. 22

The Detroit Pistons are having one of the most surprising seasons in the NBA, sitting in the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference heading into Tuesday’s matchup with Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks (the No. 6 seed in the East).

With a win, Detroit would jump past Atlanta in the standings, and Cade Cunningham and company have won seven of their last 10 games, including an upset over the Houston Rockets on Monday.

Atlanta dropped its last game against the New York Knicks, but like the Pistons, the Hawks have overachieved so far in the 2024-25 season.

Atlanta does have a little bit of a loaded injury report, as No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher is out and Jalen Johnson is listed as questionable for this matchup.

Still, the Hawks are favored at home by 2.5 points in this matchup. Here’s a full breakdown of the odds, players to watch in the prop market and my prediction on Tuesday night.

Pistons vs. Hawks Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

Pistons +2.5 (-108)
Hawks -2.5 (-112)

Moneyline

Pistons: +120
Hawks: -142

Total

236 (Over -108/Under -112)

Pistons vs. Hawks How to Watch

Date: Wednesday, Jan. 22
Time: 7:30 p.m. EST
Venue: State Farm Arena
How to Watch (TV): Bally Sports Detroit, Bally Sports Southeast
Pistons record: 22-21
Hawks record: 22-20

Pistons vs. Hawks Injury Reports

Pistons Injury Report

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

Hawks Injury Report

Dominick Barlow – questionable
Kobe Bufkin – out
Jalen Johnson – questionable
Mouhamed Gueye – questionable
Larry Nance Jr. – out
Cody Zeller – out
Daeqwon Plowden – questionable
Keaton Wallace – questionable
Trae Young – probable
Zaccharie Risacher – out

Pistons vs. Hawks Best NBA Prop Bets

Detroit Pistons Best NBA Prop Bet

Cade Cunningham OVER 26.5 Points (-120)

This could be a big game for Cunningham, as the Hawks are No. 19 in defensive rating and No. 2 in pace this season, leading to some high-scoring affairs.

Cade is averaging 24.5 points per game this season, but he’s scored 32 or more in three of his last six games. The Hawks have struggled against opposing point guards, allowing nearly 25 points per game to them this season. Don’t be shocked if Cade pushes 30 once again tonight.

Atlanta Hawks Best NBA Prop Bet

Onyeka Okongwu UNDER 9.5 Rebounds (-130)

Okongwu recently moved into the starting lineup for Atlanta, grabbing nine rebounds in Monday’s loss to the New York Knicks.

While he had picked up 13 or more boards in three straight games prior to that, I’m not buying the former lottery pick in this prop on Wednesday.

First off, Detroit is an elite rebounding team, ranking No. 3 in the NBA in opponent rebounds per game and No. 5 in rebounding percentage.

Secondly, while Okongwu’s role recently changed, his minutes haven’t increased a ton. He’s playing 25.1 minutes per game since Dec. 29 – just one minute more per game than his season average.

He also played less than 30 minutes in his start on Monday, so I wouldn’t be shocked to see him come closer to his season average of 7.6 rebounds per game on Wednesday.

Pistons vs. Hawks Prediction and Pick

Detroit is playing some great basketball right now, ranking in the top 10 in the NBA in net rating over its last 10 matchups.

After upsetting Houston as a road underdog on Monday, I’m going to back the Pistons again here as slight dogs in Atlanta.

The Hawks are already down one start in Risacher, and if Johnson is ruled out, it significantly limits their offensive ceiling. Not only that, but Atlanta is 20th in the NBA in net rating over its last 10 games despite a 5-5 record.

Overall, the Hawks are just 3-7 against the spread as home favorites, and they’re just 19th in the league in defensive rating, making it tough to cover at times when laying points.

The Pistons, on the other hand, are one of the best teams in the NBA as road underdogs, going 11-5-1 against the spread. I expect them to keep that going on Wednesday.

Pick: Pistons +2.5 (-108)

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.