Atlanta Hawks vs. Houston Rockets Betting Odds, Analysis, NBA Pick

The Atlanta Hawks (28-21) will try to rebound from a blowout loss to the Miami Heat when they visit the Houston Rockets (36-16) as big underdogs Thursday in the second game of a back-to-back.The Hawks fell 116-93 at Miami for the Heat's ninth win in a row and will now face a Rockets team they have beaten six straight times.Point spread: The Rockets opened as nine-point favorites; the total is at 222, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark (line updates and matchup report).NBA pick, via OddsShark computer: 119-107 Rockets (NBA picks on every game)Why the Hawks can cover the spreadNot only has Atlanta won the past six meetings with Houston straight up, but it has also gone 5-1 against the spread in those games. In addition, the Hawks have won the last three times when playing the second game of a back-to-back along with 11 of 14 both SU and ATS.Losing to Miami is nothing to be ashamed of considering the team has the longest current winning streak in the NBA, and Atlanta has not dropped consecutive games since December 5, 2016.Why the Rockets can cover the spreadThe Rockets continue a four-game homestand versus the Hawks, and they have played well at the Toyota Center this season with an 18-5 mark SU, although they are just 12-11 ATS there.Houston is coming off a 105-83 rout of the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday to open the homestand, covering the spread easily as a 12-point favorite. The team crushed Sacramento despite an off shooting night from leading scorer James Harden, who made only three of his nine shots from the field and finished with 10 points.Smart pickThe Hawks have failed to cover the spread in three straight games and will likely have to contend with a fired-up Harden after his poor offensive performance. The last time Harden scored less than 15 points, he exploded for 40 in the next game, leading the Rockets to a 129-122 road victory against the Toronto Raptors on January 8.Harden has also totaled only 25 points in his last two games combined on 6-of-26 shooting, so look for a bounce-back effort from him as Houston wins by double digits to cover at online gambling sites.Betting trendsAtlanta is 1-4 ATS in its last five games.The total has gone over in five of Atlanta's last six games.Houston is 2-4 ATS in its last six games at home.All NBA lines and betting trends courtesy of Bleacher Reports official odds partner, OddsShark. All quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line-movement updates and the OddsShark YouTube page for picks and analysis, or download the free odds tracker app.
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