Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Atlanta Hawks Odds, Picks, and Prediction - April 15, 2022

The Atlanta Hawks take on the Cleveland Cavaliers in Cleveland in a play-in game on Friday night. The winner will become the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference and take on the Miami Heat in the first round beginning Sunday.

The Cleveland Cavaliers came up short in Tuesday night's first play-in game, falling 115-108 to the Nets in Brooklyn. All-Star Darius Garland led the way with 34 points and will try and replicate his success.

Meanwhile, the visiting Hawks, led by star point guard Trae Young's 24 points and 11 assists, defeated the Charlotte Hornets 132-103 on Wednesday night. They will try to continue their momentum.

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Atlanta Hawks Match Details

Fixture: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Atlanta Hawks

Date & Time: Friday, April 15th 7:30 PM ET

Venue: Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, Cleveland, OH

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Atlanta Hawks Betting Odds

The Hawks opened as a -1.5 favorite and are now a 2-point favorite over the Cavaliers.

The Over/Under opened at 225.5 but has since gone down and is now listed at 223.

The Hawks are favored and have odds at best at -127 for the Money Line, while the Cavaliers are the underdogs and are listed at best at +115.

Prediction: Atlanta Hawks -127 ML

Prediction: Atlanta Hawks -2 (-110)

Prediction: Over/Under 223 Points: UNDER 223 (-110)

The Hawks had a great playoff run last season, advancing to the Eastern Conference finals before being eliminated by the eventual champions, the Milwaukee Bucks. The Hawks enter the game on fire, having won eight of their last 10. The Hawks won the season series 3-1.

The Cavaliers have gone just 4-9 against the spread in their previous 13 matchups. The Hawks, on the other hand, are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games as the favorites.

Atlanta should not only win but cover the spread behind point guard Trae Young's elite ability to score for himself (28.4 points per game) and create for his teammates (9.7 assists per game).

The Cavaliers have struggled down the stretch, going just 3-7 in their previous ten games. All-Star center Jarrett Allen has a chance to return on Friday night, but he may be limited as he's been out since March 6 with an injured finger.

The total has gone under in five of the Hawks' last six games and in four of the Cavaliers' last six games.

In this do-or-die play-in game, both defenses should buckle down in the fourth quarter and keep the score low enough to stay under 223 points.

With Cleveland's Jarrett Allen upgraded to questionable, he should provide a boost defensively as well as help the total go under if he can play.