With nine games in the NBA on Friday night, SportsGrid betting analyst Ben Stevens has his sights set on one particular matchup that’s set to tip-off across the border. Find out why he’s taking the points with the underdog in this edition of Buy, Buy, Buy on The Morning After.
An entertaining battle gets underway up north when the Toronto Raptors host the Atlanta Hawks. Both teams are in good form of late as Toronto’s on a four-game winning streak, while Atlanta’s won eight of its past ten games. Moreover, Atlanta’s coming off an impressive 124-115 victory over arguably the best team in the NBA after snapping the Suns 11-game winning streak on Thursday night.
Toronto also played yesterday, defeating the Eastern Conference’s top seed in the Chicago Bulls by outlasting them 127-120 in overtime. Thus, neither team will have an advantage in terms of rest.
However, while both teams appear to be somewhat even in this matchup, Atlanta boasts the second-best efficiency on offense with 111.1 points per 100 possessions. That makes the Hawks even more valuable since they’re catching three points before the game even tips off.
According to Stevens, bettors might also want to consider the recent play of Atlanta’s All-Star point guard. “If Trae Young is going to continue to put up 40-point performances like the 43 he scored last night against Phoenix, I can feel pretty good about where this team stands on the second leg of a back-to-back.”
Take the points with the road underdogs.
For more Buy, Buy, Buy picks, make sure you catch Ben Stevens every day on SportsGrid.
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