Nets vs. Hawks Prediction and Odds for Wednesday, December 28th (Why under is best bet)

The Nets look to make it a league best 10 straight wins on Wednesday night against the Atlanta Hawks.

Atlanta is in a tough way right now, .500 on the season after a double digit loss to the Pacers on Tuesday, after splurging to get Dejounte Murray in the offseason. Trae Young left that game early with an apparent leg injury and his status is up in the air for this one. With or without Young, the Nets enter as road favorite in hopes of extending their winning streak with elite play on both sides of the floor, will they be able to?

Here are the odds and our best bet for Wednesday’s game:

Nets vs. Hawks odds, spread and total

Nets vs. Hawks prediction and pick

Young’s status is of course crucial to the Hawks hopes of competing, but I believe the team is better equipped to slow down the Nets offensive firepower with Dejounte Murray back in the lineup.

Murray missed the team’s game against the Nets a few weeks ago, a 120-116 win for Brooklyn, and the Hawks defense is more than six points better per 100 possessions on defense when he is on the floor, 90th percentile according to Cleaning The Glass. 

The Nets defense has been playing its best basketball this month, 12th in points allowed per 100 possessions, and have the switchable big men to slow down Young (if he plays) or Murray off the bounce. Nicolas Claxton and Ben Simmons are the Nets two big men and switch on any screens, which can make life difficult for any Hawks’ ball handler to generate advantageous situations.

Brooklyn is humming on both sides of the floor, but this total is two points higher than the 233 it closed at in the prior meeting earlier this month. With Young potentially hobbled, and one of the best defensive guards active for Atlanta in Murray, I have to go under.