2025 NBA Playoffs: Examining the Atlanta Hawks Odds to Make the Playoffs

While most regard the All-Star break as the halfway point in the NBA season, the season is actually more than half over. There are fewer than 30 games left this season for the Atlanta Hawks and while it might be a bit of a stretch to say that the playoff hopes for the Hawks rest on the first four games of their post All-Star Break schedule, I would argue that there is some merit to that discussion as well.

The Atlanta Hawks are one of several teams that are vying for a top-six seed in the Eastern Conference and to avoid the play-in tournament. Heading into Thursday's matchup vs the Orlando Magic, the Hawks are four games out of 5th place (Milwaukee Bucks), three games out of 6th place (Detroit), and a half-game out of 7th place (Orlando). The Hawks have a very important four-game stretch to open the next part of the season. They face Orlando on Thursday, Detroit on Sunday, and then two matchups with the Miami Heat. Atlanta would love to come out of that stretch either 3-1 or 4-0 and put themselves in a good position when it comes to the playoffs.

When you look at the odds for the Hawks in comparison to the other teams in the Eastern Conference, where are the Hawks?

According to Fanduel Sportsbook, the Hawks are listed at +110 to make the playoffs right now. What about the teams around them? The Pistons are currently 6th in the East and are -550 to make the playoffs and among the teams 6-10, they have the highest odds. Just behind them is the Orlando Magic at -480 and then it is the Miami Heat at -260. The Hawks are underdogs to get in the playoffs when the NBA fully starts back on Thursday, but it is not hard to find a path for them, especially if the first four games go well for them.

While the Hawks are 1-0 against the Magic already this season, they would be one game closer to clinching the season series vs Orlando if they can defeat them on Thursday night at home. With the two teams so close to each other in the standings, every game is going to count and the Hawks face the Magic three times over the last 27 games. Winning that season series would be important and they could get closer to it on Thursday.

Atlanta will then face Detroit on Sunday and it will be the final meeting between the two teams. The Pistons lead the season series 2-1 and would clinch the tiebreaker over the Hawks if the win in Atlanta on Sunday. The Hawks can't afford to let that happen and any hope of jumping the Pistons in the standings gets really hard if they lose on Sunday.

The Hawks and the Heat have only faced each other once this season, an Atlanta victory back in December. If Atlanta can win both games against Miami next week, they would win the season series and own the tiebreaker. The next time the Hawks and Heat would see each other is on March 27th in Miami.

There are obviously 23 other games on the rest of the schedule, but these next four are of great importance to Atlanta. They can either put themselves into the discussion for the No. 5 or 6 seed or they could see themselves fall behind this logjam of teams and be destined for another season in the play-in tournament.

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