The Cleveland Cavaliers (38-24) visit the Atlanta Hawks (29-30) on Friday night! Action tips off at 7:40 p.m. ET. Below we continue our NBA odds series with a Cavaliers-Hawks prediction, pick, and how to watch.

Cleveland will be on short rest tonight after their home loss to Denver last night kept them in third place in the East. The Cavaliers covered 54% of their games while 53% went under the projected point total. Atlanta lost their last two games heading into the All-Star break but still sits in eighth place in the East. The Hawks covered 45% of their games while 56% went under. This will be the second of three meetings between the conference foes. Cleveland took the first matchup at home, 114-102.

Here are the Cavaliers-Hawks NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel

NBA Odds: Cavaliers-Hawks Odds

Cleveland Cavaliers: +1 (-108)

Atlanta Hawks: -1 (-112)

Over: 227 (-110)

Under: 227 (-110)

How To Watch Cavaliers vs. Hawks

TV: Bally Ohio, Bally Southeast

Stream: NBA League Pass

Time: 7:30 p.m. ET/ 4:30 p.m. PT

*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why The Cavaliers Could Cover The Spread

Cleveland is fresh off a home loss to Denver but remains a serious threat in the Eastern Conference. While the Cavaliers can struggle at times on the offensive end, they boast the best defense in the NBA. Cleveland allows just 106.3 PPG and holds opponents to the sixth-lowest field goal percentage in the NBA. Additionally, they hold the fourth-highest turnover rate in the league. The Cavaliers play at a snail’s pace – something to pay attention to considering how fast the Hawks play. Offensively, they rank just 26th in scoring but Cleveland does hold the fifth-highest field goal percentage in the league. They are especially strong in the paint – an area the Hawks struggled to defend in the first half.

Cleveland boasts one of the best four-man lineups in the league. Donovan Mitchell leads the team in scoring with 27.2 PPG. Although he struggled en route to 22 points last night, Mitchell was strong in their earlier win over Atlanta when he scored 29 points and dished out nine assists. Backcourt mate Darius Garland is right behind him, averaging 21.8 PPG and 7.9 APG. Garland, too, had a strong showing in their earlier win over the Hawks. He scored 26 points and dished out nine assists in the win.

Their big men both serve as the defining factor in whether the Cavaliers cover tonight. Both Evan Mobley (16 PPG and 8.9 RPG) and Jarrett Allen (14.7 PPG and 9.9 RPG) are stout defenders but will be challenged tonight against a Hawks team that lives in the paint.

Why The Hawks Could Cover The Spread

Atlanta made news prior to the second half of the season kicking off when they fired head coach Nate McMillan. While his departure likely won’t dramatically impact the way the team plays, it makes evaluating their chances of covering tonight a bit tricker. On one hand, you see players (especially star players) have big games after a coach they didn’t like got canned. Kyrie Irving and the Nets notably turned things around earlier this year after Steve Nash was relieved of coaching duties. Assuming they don’t drastically change their style of play, we can expect Atlanta to do most of their work on the offensive end as they rank eighth in scoring with 116.4 PPG. The Hawks have been especially dangerous in the paint, averaging 53 interior PPG – ninth-most in the NBA.

The guy with the most to prove following McMillan’s firing has to be Trae Young. Young and McMillan had a rocky history and the star could be looking to prove something after the team effectively chose him over their coach. Young has had an up-and-down NBA season. His counting stats are strong as he averaged 26.7 PPG and 10.2 APG. The issues have come from beyond the arc. Young became known in the league for his outside shooting but he’s shot just 32% from three this year. That being said, Trae was turning things around prior to the All-Star break. In seven February games, Young averaged 2.4 made threes per game while shooting 38% from beyond the arc.

Outside of Young, the Hawks have a number of contributors who could help will them to cover as home underdogs. Dejounte Murray is one of the best Batmen in the league, averaging 20.7 PPG and 6.1 APG. Both De’Andre Hunter (15.9 PPG and 4.4 RPG) and Bogdan Bogdanovic (14.6 PPG) are strong tertiary options as well. Their biggest X-factor tonight is Clint Capela. Cleveland’s core lies with their big man – putting a huge emphasis on Capela to have a big night. For the season, the springy center averages 12.2 PPG and 11.3 RPG.

Final Cavaliers-Hawks Prediction & Pick

Final Cavaliers-Hawks Prediction & Pick: