The Atlanta Hawks (33-17) will host the Miami Heat in a crucial NBA Southeast Division battle at Phillips Arena in Atlanta Wednesday (7:00 pm Eastern). The Hawks need a win in order to keep pace with Orlando, who leads over Atlanta by one game in the Southeast Division standings. At 25-27, Miami is in fourth place in the division and is holding down the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference Playoffs race while Atlanta is fourth. Atlanta defeated Miami at home earlier this season (Nov. 18) behind 30 points from Joe Johnson.
NBA Picks oddsmakers at BetUS.com have installed the Hawks as 7-point favorites versus the Heat with a 191 1/2 total. Heat backers are getting +260 odds on the BetUS moneyline as the underdog while Atlanta is giving -320.
The Hawks are 21-5 at home and have won five straight there. Miami, meanwhile, has dropped five in a row in Atlanta since its last win March 21, 2007.
Miami ended a five-game slide by blowing out visiting Houston 99-66 on Tuesday night. The Heat put away the game early by making 13 of 15 shots over a 9 1/2-minute span in the first half en route to a season-high, 25-point halftime lead.
NBA Picks: The Hawks should make it six wins in a row at home over the Heat. We like the Hawks to cover as a 7-chalk home favorite.
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