Posted at 11:30 AM EST. Odds subject to change.

Pinnacle +116  BET365 +110 Sportsinteraction +110 888Sport +110

Atlanta +116 over Memphis

6:10 PM EST. The Grizzlies are rolling after five straight wins as they look to take the #1 seed in the West from the Nuggets. Coming into tonight, the Grizz are 3½ games back of Denver with nine games to play and one game in hand over the Nuggs. We’ll also mention that the Grizz have already locked up the Southwest Division as they are 9½ games up on second place New Orleans.

Wins are nice, and they all count the same in the standings, but a closer look shows that Memphis has been feasting on some fat with two wins coming over Houston and another coming over San Antonio. What’s more troublesome is that the Grizz had their hands full with both the Rockets and Spurs in two of those three games.

Meanwhile, the Hawks are stuck in a lose one, win one rut that goes back six games. When the market or the scumbag pick sellers see a trend like that, they jump all over it. Well, last night, the Hawks knocked off Indiana 143-130, so you know what that means—surely Atlanta is going to lose today on the second half of this back-to-back, right?—the trend says so!

We do not get wrapped up in strategies such as fading teams on a back-to-back because more often than not, it’s bullshit. Now, there are exceptions to every rule, and if we see a situational spot we can benefit from that happens to fall on the tail end of a back-to-back, we’re going to pounce. However, those usually come when a team is traveling on the road. The Hawks were at home yesterday, and they are at home again today. Moreover, Atlanta had two full days off between their road game in Minnesota and hosting Indiana last night. The Hawks aren’t tired, they are in the middle of an intense playoff race (sitting 8th), and they cannot wait to get back on the court today. One could take back the possession being offered up here, but we’re not going to bother. Hawks outright is the call.

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