The Miami Heat and Atlanta Hawks are set to clash in a crucial play-in game to determine the Eastern Conference`s No. 8 seed. The winner will advance to face the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers.
Atlanta finished the regular season with a 40-42 record, placing them eighth in the East, while Miami was tenth at 37-45. In the play-in tournament, the Hawks lost to the Orlando Magic, and the Heat defeated the Chicago Bulls to reach this game.
The game is considered a toss-up, with the Hawks slightly favored by 1 point according to sports betting odds. Their season series was split 2-2, with each game won by the home team with a margin of at least 10 points, potentially favoring Atlanta.
Trae Young, Atlanta`s star player, will be under pressure after a 28-point performance and subsequent suspension in the previous game. Despite averaging 24.2 points per game this season, his lowest since his rookie year, he only averaged 17 points against Miami in their regular season matchups. Betting models suggest Tyler Herro of the Heat is expected to score significantly in this game.
SportsLine`s Projection Model provides recommendations for player prop bets, including for Young. The model suggests considering Alec Burks to exceed 5.5 points, Davion Mitchell to stay under 19.5 points+rebounds+assists, and Trae Young to score under 25.5 points in this game.
According to the model, Alec Burks is expected to surpass 5.5 points, especially given his performance in recent road games against weaker defenses. Davion Mitchell is projected to have under 19.5 PRA, aligning with his recent games against similar opponents. Despite Young`s importance to the Hawks, the model predicts he will score under 25.5 points in this particular matchup.
A strong performance from Trae Young is crucial for the Hawks to win and advance. However, betting models suggest considering the under on his points prop for this game, based on his recent performances against losing teams.
Jasper Hawthorne