Atlanta Hawks at Orlando Magic
Monday, 12/6/10, 7:00 PM EDT, TV: NBATV
Atlanta expects to have star guard Joe Johnson out of the lineup for four to six weeks due to elbow surgery, as the team was unable to win a third straight game without its best player. The Hawks dropped an 89-77 contest to Miami on Saturday, ending a five-game winning streak and it was their third road loss in 10 games. Many NBA experts have pointed out that the squad continues to struggle against the Eastern Conference elite. “You get tired of talking about this,” said Al Horford. “Sooner or later, it has to sink in. We can’t afford to start slow against these teams or anyone else.” The team is 9-5 versus East opponents this year, including a 5-3 mark on the road. Atlanta is 6-2 ATS in its last eight road games and the NBA lines page is available to monitor this line throughout the day.
The Hawks visit the Orlando area for the second-and-final time this year in the second-of-four games between the clubs. Atlanta dropped a 93-89 decision in the first game on November 8 and will undoubtedly miss Joe Johnson’s 23 points that paced the club that night. The team has lost six straight games in Orlando and hasn’t won here since a 99-85 victory on October 29, 2008, averaging 85.3 points in those six losses. Despite its struggles in tonight’s venue, the Hawks still bring in the best road record in the Eastern Conference. Last season, Atlanta was 6-4 through 10 road games and finished 19-22 on the year away from Philips Arena.
Orlando dropped an 96-85 contest to the Milwaukee Bucks in its last game and had a six-game winning streak snapped in the process. The Magic had only eight players active before the game due to a stomach virus that spread within the team. “We don’t look at this as an excuse for tonight’s game,” said Quentin Richardson. “We know we’re a deep team and have at least one other player at each position.” A key player that hopes to be back on the floor is All-Star center Dwight Howard, as he’s missed just three games in his career. He has averaged 22.0 points and 16.8 rebounds versus the Hawks in the last six meetings. Orlando is 21-5-1 ATS following a SU loss of more than 10 points.
The Magic still bring in a solid 15-5 overall record that includes a 6-1 home mark against the Eastern Conference. Orlando is currently 9-2 at home this season and is enjoying its first season in the new Amway Center. The team is outscoring opponents by 17.1 points per game at home on the season. An important number for the squad this season is scoring 100 points on offense, posting a 9-1 record when they hit that mark. From the field, Orlando is shooting 47.3 percent, which ranks fourth in the league.
Bettors will be interested in knowing that the Hawks are 2-10 ATS in the last 12 meetings, while the Magic are 4-10 ATS versus the Eastern Conference.
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