Is Trae Young Playing Tonight? (Injury Update, Betting Impact for Hawks vs. Thunder)

The latest injury update for Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young on Monday against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young.
Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images
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The Atlanta Hawks are set to be short-handed on Monday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and there's a chance star guard Trae Young could be out of the lineup as well.

Young is listed as questionable with a right quad contusion, while Jalen Johnson (illness) and Kristaps Porzingis (illness) are both out for this matchup. As a result, oddsmakers have set the Hawks as 16.5-point underdogs on the road against the Thunder.

Atlanta has been on a major losing streak, and it's fallen out of the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference as a result. There's still plenty of time for the Hawks to get back in, but their record with Young is concerning.

Atlanta is just 2-8 when the star guard suits up, and it's allowed 125 or more points in each of the five games he's played in since returning from a knee injury.

Young also hasn't been himself offensively, averaging just 19.3 points per game across 10 matchups. He is averaging 8.9 assists per night, but his shooting splits are shaky (41.5 percent from the field, 30.5 percent from 3) early on this season.

With the Hawks facing arguably the best team in the NBA, this could be a tough game for Young to get going -- if he's able to suit up. Here's a look at my favorite prop for him in this interconference clash.

Best Hawks Prop Bet vs. Thunder

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Trae Young UNDER 21.5 Points (-105)

If he plays, Young is going to have an expanded opportunity on offense with Johnson out of this game, but I'm not buying him to have a big game against a tough OKC defense.

The Thunder are No. 1 in the NBA in defensive rating, and this game could get out of hand quickly with the Hawks down multiple key rotation pieces. That could lead to a limit on Young's minutes, especially since he's already banged up heading into this game.

In 10 games this season, Young has fallen short of this line in five of them, including two games with less than 10 points since he returned from a knee injury. The All-Star guard is shooting just 41.5 percent from the field and 30.5 percent from 3, and I think he could struggle against an OKC defense that has a ton of elite perimeter players that it can thrown on Young on Monday.


Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Peter Dewey
PETER DEWEY

Peter is a senior editor for Sports Illustrated Betting. He has worked as a writer and editor for BetSided, NBC Sports, the Connecticut Sun and the Meriden Record-Journal covering the NBA, WNBA, NFL, MLB, and more. A New York City resident, he is a hoops fanatic with a soft spot for his New York Knicks.