Atlanta Hawks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Player Prop Prediction: A Trae Young Takeover
Atlanta Hawks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Player Prop Prediction: A Trae Young Takeover
The Eastern Conference has been full of madness for weeks on end thanks to clusters all throughout the East playoff picture. At the heart of one of these hotspots is the Atlanta Hawks. With six games left to play, they're just one game back from Brooklyn and a half-game back from Charlotte. Meanwhile, Cleveland is desperately trying to avoid the play-in tournament but has struggled lately.
However, Trae Young is on a mission of his own, and his talents will be on full display -- tip-off is at 7:30 PM ET. I'm expecting Trae to takeover tonight after he dazzled in a win over the Thunder last night.
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Trae Young to record a Double-Double (-120) (Bet $120 to win $100)
*Odds Available at BetMGM at Time of Publishing*
Trae Young has been on an absolute tear in the second half of the NBA season. He's averaging 10.6 assists per game since the All-Star break, recording a double-double in 11 of 17 games during this stretch.
He's also placed himself in the conversation with other elite playmakers all year, as he leads the entire NBA in games with 10+ assists. On Monday, Trae posted his 39th double-digit assist performance of the season to take the lead over Chris Paul.
More importantly, he's seeing an even higher volume of assist opportunities in recent games. The former Oklahoma Sooner is averaging 10.9 assists and 19.6 potential assists per game over his last 15 games, notching a double-double in 10 of these contests. And, given the absences of John Collins and Danilo Gallinari, shot creation duties have fallen on Trae's shoulders even more than usual.
The Hawks have recently trotted out lineups that surround Trae with three shooters and Clint Capela, one of the league's premier lob threats. This ensures that the Hawks' point guard will have every opportunity imaginable to set his teammates up for easy looks against a Cavs defense that has gotten considerably weaker lately.
Cleveland is currently missing Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, their defensive anchors and top two defensive players throughout the 2021-22 campaign. In the 12 games since Allen's injury, Cleveland has allowed 28.0 APG, the 5th most in the league. Cleveland has allowed Malcolm Brogdon, Kyle Lowry, Cade Cunningham, Russell Westbrook, LeBron James, and Luka Doncic to reach the 10-assist mark during this stretch.
Young has double-doubled in 17 of his last 25 games when seeing at least 34 minutes of action. And, with playoff implications on the line this evening, I'm expecting a full complement of minutes for the two-time all-star after sitting out the entire fourth quarter last night. Trae could be too much for Cleveland's struggling defense to handle, and his 39th double-double of the season is well within reach.