The Atlanta Hawks have longshot odds to win the NBA Finals in 2023. Instead, the team is looking for smaller victories like making the Eastern Conference playoff field. Trae Young is still an ultra-effective shooter and improved on his assist numbers this season, but hasn’t quite hit the same heights he did at the end of 2022. Can this team contend in the East despite a serious size deficiency?
Below, we’ll go over Hawks odds for the 2023 NBA season and postseason. Find player props, game previews, and more.
Atlanta Hawks Odds
Find Atlanta Hawks odds in the table below. Click on any odds to bet on the Hawks now.
Hawks NBA Title Odds
Plenty of other teams in the East are in stronger NBA Finals odds consideration than the Hawks. They have longshot NBA odds to win the championship, due in part to them not guaranteed a spot in the playoff field at all. Currently, Atlanta is to make the playoffs (note: Play-in games do not count).
Hovering around the eight seed, the Hawks would like face a team like the Wizards, Raports, Bulls, or Pacers in a play-in game scenario. Keeping the higher seed would keep this game in Atlanta, giving the Hawks a slight edge in that department. However, win the play-in game and the next round consists of a date with the Celtics, Bucks, or 76ers.
Last year, Young turned into an icy killer near the back half of the season and the Hawks steamrolled a hapless Cavs defense in the play-in game. However, he melted against a stellar Miami Heat team, averaging just 15.4 points per game versus his season average of over 28.
Overall, the Hawks don’t have the star power nor the defensive prowess to make a long postseason run. At least, not this year. Without a second true scoring threat, the recipe to beating the Hawks includes taking Young out of the conversation. Not easy, but not impossible to do.
Hawks Roster
- G Trae Young
- G Dejounte Murray
- F De’Andre Hunter
- F John Collins
- C Clint Capela
- G Bogdan Bogdanovic
- G Aaron Holiday
- G Vit Krejci
- G Garrison Matthews
- G Trent Forrest
- G Tyrese Martin
- G Donovan Williams
- F Saddiq Bey
- F AJ Griffin
- F Jalen Johnson
- F Bruno Fernando
- F Onyeka Okongwu
Who are the best players on the Hawks?
Trae Young: The sharpshooter from Oklahoma has turned into one of the most lethal shooters in the NBA. He’s also a dynamic passer, averaging almost 10 assists a game in his early career. Young led the Hawks to the NBA Playoffs a season ago thanks to nuclear shooting streaks that extend the three-point line nearly 38 feet from the basket. Modeled like Steph Curry, Young terrorizes defenders with a lightning-quick release and elite ball handling skills.
Dejounte Murray: Atlanta traded for Murray from the Spurs and the guard immediately stepped into a prominent role. He averages over 20 points per game this season, becoming the Hawks’ second-leading scorer to Young. Also impressive is Murray’s rebounding ability for a guard, grabbing nearly six boards per game. Murray leads the team defensively, too, in steals while limiting fouls and turnovers.
Clint Capela: For the last six seasons, Capela comes near the league lead in rebounding. He joined the Hawks in 2020 and immediately became the team’s leading rebounder. At 6-foot-10, Capela is rarely the tallest player on the court, but strength and technique help propel him to one of the NBA’s finest rebounders.
Atlanta Hawks Props
Search for top Hawks players like Trae Young using the NBA props search tool below. Search for any player in the search bar and instantly compare odds across major sportsbooks. Click on any odds in the table below to place a bet.
Hawks Current Season
Atlanta caught fire at the right time last season heading into the postseason. Hanging around the Eastern Conference playoff bubble again this year, the Hawks need to catch lightning in a bottle twice. They’re likely headed for a play-in game berth in which case they’ll need to fight for a true playoff spot. That true playoff spot likely comes against Boston or Milwaukee without home court advantage.
Height and physicality have been the undoing of Atlanta this year. Their ultra-small ball approach works against interior defensive teams like the Cavaliers in the East, but fails to hit the same heights as the Warriors in the West. Heading into the All-Star break, the Hawks were just 6-10 against teams in the Eastern Conference Playoff picture.
Middling defense has led to a record right around .500 all season long and, as we know, defense wins playoff games. Particularly, their size disadvantage has them ranked in the bottom five in paint points allowed this year. With the trade deadline in the past, that size advantage isn’t changing in any drastic way for 2023.
Young and the offense could hit another hot streak. Should they climb the playoff leaderboard and land a more favorable postseason seat, Atlanta could pull an upset. However, they’re more likely fighting for a seat in the playoffs rather than thinking about how far they’ll go.
Hawks transactions
- None
The Hawks didn’t make any moves around the trade deadline this season. Their core five and sixth-man Bogdan Bogdanovic remains Atlanta’s identity moving into the back stretch of the season.
How to bet on the Hawks
What Happens If You Bet $100 On The Moneyline?
Betting on the Moneyline simply refers to betting on winners. Favorites are marked by having a “minus” number while underdogs show a “plus” number. For example:
- Cavaliers +120
- Hawks -140
In this instance, the Hawks are favored over the Cavaliers. At -140, a bettor would need to play $140 to win $100. On the flip side, a $100 bet on the Cavs wins a bettor $120. In both instances, the initial bet is also returned in a win.
What Does Spread Mean For The Atlanta Hawks?
Betting on the point spread takes things a bit deeper. Instead of just betting on a winner, bettors wager on the differential in a game. For example:
- Wizards +2 (-110)
- Hawks -2 (-110)
The Hawks in this instance are favored by two points. A successful wager on Hawks -2 would need Atlanta to win by three points or more. If the Hawks win by one or lose the game outright, a wager on the Wizards +2 would be the successful bet. If the game ends in exactly a two-point differential, it’s declared a “push” and the original bet amount on both sides is returned.
The number in parentheses next to the spread is the price you’re paying for either side. In the above example, you’d need to wager $110 to win $100 on either side. Sportsbooks make the number -110 instead of +100 on many bets. This is known as the “vigorish” or “vig” and represents the cut a sportsbook expects to take from either side. For example, +100 represents 50% (+100– or “even money”– would be 50% + 50%, adding up to 100%). However, -110 represents 52.4. So, A bet on either side at 52.4% would add up to 104.8%, or a 4.8% vig.
Point Total (Over/Under)
Bettors can also wager on the point total or the over/under instead of the spread or moneyline. In this case, punters wager on the total number of points scored by both teams in the game. For example:
- Over 235.5 (-110)
- Under 235.5 (-110)
Betting on the over requires the two teams to combine for at least 236 points. So, if the final score is 127-109 or 119-117, then the over would hit regardless of who wins the game. However, if the game ended 102-94, the under would hit.
The same rules apply with vigorish and price, listed in parentheses next to the over/under.
In-Play And Live Betting
All of the bets listed above can be made in one of two ways: pre-game or live. Pre-game bets happen before the game starts. However, bettors can also place bets on games while the contest is going on. Odds change constantly, especially in a fast-paced game like basketball. Keen bettors can take advantage of in-play betting.
For example, say the Hawks fall to a 64-59 halftime deficit against the Nets. While the Hawks closed as a -5.5 favorite in the game, the line might now be Hawks +3.5. Perhaps someone significant for the Nets exited the game with an injury just before the half or the Hawks closed a 20-point gap in the second quarter and have the momentum going into the second half. Bettors can wager on the Hawks +3.5 at this juncture.
Live betting also applies to over/unders and even some player props. However, we advise caution with live betting as TV broadcasts can have long tape delays. In basketball, a 15-second tape delay may represent two entire possessions or a six-point swing in a game. Sportsbooks are usually ahead of this, so it’s best practice to live bet during timeouts in the action.
Parlays And Teasers
Stringing multiple bets together is called a parlay. Parlays greatly increase betting volume but also require every leg to be correct to win the bet. For example, betting on the Hawks -2 (-110) against the Warriors and Over 235.5 (-110) separately would require $220 total to win $200 on both bets combined. However, parlay these two together and the parlay price comes out to +256 odds. That same $220 would now win $563.20 total.
Parlays allows bettors to win more money, but at the expense of lower win probability. Each leg of a parlay decreases the overall chances of the bet winning, but can strategically be used to great effect.
Teaser betting refers to buying and selling points. While a much more popular practice in betting the NFL, teaser betting works in the NBA, too. Teasers are a form of parlay betting. Bettors can buy six points, but must string two legs together with odds usually set at -120 or longer. For example, a six-point teaser turns: Hawks -4 (-110) and Over 240.5 (-110) points into Hawks +2 and Over 234.5 points, combined to -120 odds.
While bettors get the extra breathing room, it also forces your hand to be more correct to break even.
Hawks Franchise History
The Atlanta Hawks franchise began in Buffalo, N.Y., where it bounced around between multiple cities. They then moved onto St. Louis, where they played 11 seasons and were renamed the Hawks. NBA Hall of Famer Bob Pettit won two MVPs with the Hawks and led them to a championship in 1958. Pettit and the Hawks reached another championship, but were beaten by the Celtics.
The Hawks moved to Atlanta in 1965 after ownership and the city of St. Louis couldn’t find them a more modern arena to play in. 12 years later, they were purchased by CNN Founder Ted Turner and were coached by Hall of Fame coach Hubie Brown. Atlanta saw its best years under Dominique Wilkins from 1982-1994, where they were annual playoff participants and 50-game winners. However, an NBA Finals appearance was too elusive even for the great Wilkins to achieve.
Between 1994 and 2015, the Hawks failed to win any division titles. They appeared in postseasons infrequently, a streak that really continues to this day. Young gave the franchise new life under a new identity (changing from red/white/blue uniforms to red/yellow/neon green) and promise for the future.
The 1958 NBA title remains the franchise’s only. They have not appeared in a championship since the merger and have no conference championships. Their closest run came in 2015 where they were thoroughly beaten in four games by LeBron James and the Cavaliers.
FAQs About Hawks Odds
Who is favored to win 2023 NBA Finals?
From the East, the Boston Celtics are NBA title odds favorites at . The Milwaukee Bucks () and Philadelphia 76ers () offer the most resistance to the Celtics, who have been NBA favorites for much of the season.
The Phoenix Suns () jumped to the lead in the West after trading for superstar Kevin Durant. Back-to-back NBA MVP Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets () come in behind the Suns, followed closely in the West by the Los Angeles Clippers ().
What are the odds that the Hawks are going to win the championship this year?
The Atlanta Hawks have longshot odds to win the NBA title. At +15000 – or 150-1 – the Hawks have just a 0.66% implied chance to win the championship.
How likely are the Hawks to make the playoffs?
As a team on the cusp of the play-in bubble, the Hawks have odds to make the Eastern Conference Playoffs. Do note, reaching the play-in game doesn’t count as reaching the playoffs. Bettors in this instance may be wise to bet on the Hawks to win their play-in game instead of placing a future on them at this juncture to get better odds.
Are Hawks out of the playoffs?
The Hawks are still in playoff contention, hovering around the 7-10 seeds. They’re on track to participate in the play-in game.