Thunder vs. Hawks Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Friday, Feb. 28

Betting odds, pick and prediction for the Oklahoma City Thunder-Atlanta Hawks matchup on Friday.

The Thunder are favored on the road on Friday. / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

The Oklahoma City Thunder survived a scare on Wednesday night against the Brooklyn Nets, erasing a major first-half deficit to pick up a win.

OKC has looked a little more beatable as of late, blowing a 16-point lead with less than four minutes to play in a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday. 

Now, the Thunder find themselves as road favorites against an Atlanta Hawks team that is fighting for play-in tournament position in the East. Atlanta lost to the Miami Heat on Wednesday, slipping to five games under .500 on the season.

Here’s a full breakdown of the odds, players to watch in the prop market and my prediction on Friday. 

Thunder vs. Hawks Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

• Thunder -12.5 (-110)
• Hawks +12.5 (-110)

Moneyline

• Thunder: -675
• Hawks: +490

Total

• 241 (Over -110/Under -110)
  

Thunder vs. Hawks How to Watch

• Date: Friday, Feb. 28
• Time: 7:30 p.m. EST
• Venue: State Farm Arena
• How to Watch (TV): Bally Sports (Local), NBA League Pass
• Thunder record: 47-11
• Hawks record: 27-32

Thunder vs. Hawks Injury Reports

Thunder Injury Report

• Branden Carlson – out
• Alex Caruso – out
• Alex Ducas – out
• Dillon Jones – out
• Nikola Topic – out
• Ajay Mitchell – out
• Isaiah Hartenstein – available

Hawks Injury Report

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

Thunder vs. Hawks Best NBA Prop Bets

Oklahoma City Thunder Best NBA Prop Bet

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander OVER Points

This season, Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 32.4 points per game, and he’s facing an Atlanta defense that ranks in the bottom 10 in the league in points allowed per game. On top of that, SGA has games with 37 and 39 points this week, taking over 20 shots in both of those games.

If the usage remains up for SGA against a fast-paced Atlanta team, he should have a big scoring game on Friday night.

Atlanta Hawks Best NBA Prop Bet

• Zaccharie Risacher OVER Points

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Risacher has at least 11 points in seven of his last eight matchups, and he’s seen expanded usage in the shot department with De’Andre Hunter and Bogdan Bogdanovic traded at the deadline and Jalen Johnson out for the season.

This is a tough matchup against the NBA’s No. 1 defense, but Risacher could be worth a look in this market if he’s set at a reasonable number.

Thunder vs. Hawks Prediction and Pick

Should bettors be concerned with the Thunder’s recent struggles?

While this hasn’t been the best week for OKC, it still ranks fourth in the NBA in net rating and third in offensive rating over its last 10 games. The only issue has been that OKC is struggling defensively – compared to its season-long numbers – ranking 11th in defensive rating.

However, the Hawks are one of the 10 worst teams in the NBA when it comes to defensive rating and opponent points per game, so this OKC offense should feast on the road. 

Atlanta is also just 2-3 at home this month with losses to the San Antonio Spurs, Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic. 

I’ll buy the Thunder to bounce back after a gutsy comeback against a hot-shooting Brooklyn team on Wednesday. 

Pick: Thunder -12.5 (-110 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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