The Atlanta Hawks look to send the Orlando Magic packing tonight, Thursday April 28th, in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference quarter-finals. The Hawks lead the Magic 6-4 SU through their last ten meetings. NBA oddsmakers have the Hawks as -1.5 point home favourites over the Magic with the over/under set at 178 points. Be sure to check the Magic vs Hawks NBA Point Spreads and get your predictions in early.
Orlando (2-3, 0-2 V) pounded the Hawks in Game 5 winning 101-76, at home. Jason Richardson was top producer with 17pts, while J.J. Reddick was great off the bench with 14pts. Dwight Howard was not a big threat chipping with 8pts and 8 rebounds. Coach Stan Van Gundy ran less of the offense through Dwight Howard, who averaged more than 32pts over the first four games but got little help from his teammates. Running the Hawks ragged with one pick-and-roll after another, Orlando got production. The Magic dominated from the opening tip, raced out to a 23-point lead by halftime and never looked back. Expect Van Gundy to keep calling the same style of offense that worked so well in Game 5, so they'll have to work even harder to fight through screens and cut down on the open looks the Magic get from beyond the 3-point stripe. The Magic were allowed to make 11 of 26 on Tuesday night, quite an improvement on their dismal 2-of-23 showing the previous game.
Atlanta (3-2, 2-0 H) is still in control of their playoff destiny against the Magic. They're still leading the series; and they're still one win away from finishing off the Magic. Even better news is they are on home court where they won two over the Magic, but both were oh so close. In Game 5 the Hawks shot just 36 percent (25 of 89) in their worst performance of the series. Josh Smith was the only starter in double figures with 22 points. Drew said no one — not even Smith — played up to an acceptable standard. "I didn't see the effort I saw in games 3 and 4," the coach said. "There was a very glaring difference in our effort on both ends of the floor. We watched it some with the players, so they can see. The bottom line is, this is playoff basketball. This is the time where every possession counts. We played against a team that had their back against the wall, and we didn't respond to their intensity. That was very glaring." One thing the Hawks don't want to do is return to Orlando for a decisive game. "This is pretty much our best chance," forward Marvin Williams said. "It would be tough to go back down there and steal a win in Game 7.
Recent Trends to Consider:
Under is 20-6 in the last 26 meetings.
Under is 18-6 in the last 24 meetings in Atlanta.
Home team is 5-2 ATS in the last 7 meetings.
Magic are 1-8 ATS in the last 9 meetings.
Underdog is 8-1 ATS in the last 9 meetings.
Magic are 0-4 ATS in the last 4 meetings in Atlanta.
Hawks are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games as a home underdog of 0.5-4.5.
Hawks are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 Conference Quarterfinals games.
Magic vs Hawks
When: Thursday, April 28, 7:30 PM ET
Pick: Hawks -1.5
Point-Spreads.com recommends you check out NBA Point Spreads before Magic vs Hawks game.
The Bottom Line: If the Hawks adapt to the Magic’s new scheme they’ll get the win. Be sure to check Magic vs Hawks Basketball Point Spreads and get your predictions in early.
