The New Orleans Pelicans will look to break their eight-game losing streak tonight when they visit the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena.

Atlanta is on a three-game winning streak and should cap off a big win streak tonight, as I’ll explain in my Pelicans vs. Hawks predictions.

Read below to find out why I like the Hawks in my free NBA picks for Monday, December 2nd.

Pelicans vs Hawks prediction

My best choice
Hawks -10 (-110 at bet365)

My analysis
The New Orleans Pelicans face a difficult time in Atlanta on Monday. Not only has New Orleans lost eight straight, but they are now in their second straight road game after losing 118-85 to the New York Knicks last night. The Pelicans will now face an Atlanta Hawks team that has won three straight, including twice against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

To be fair to New Orleans, few rosters would be able to withstand the injury issues it is dealing with. Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum and Dejounte Murray have all missed significant time this year, and Brandon Ingram has missed the last four games due to right calf soreness. Jose Alvarado, Jordan Hawkins and Herbert Jones are also all expected to miss tonight’s game. While Murray and McCollum will most likely be in the lineup, the Pelicans are still shorthanded.

Even though Atlanta is just 10-11, they seem to be a much better team as of late. Trey Young and Jalen Johnson are each averaging over 20 ppg and appear to have the kind of chemistry that Young has never found with a co-star in his NBA career. The Hawks also benefited from the return of Bogdan Bogdanovic (11.6 ppg), who missed 13 games with a hamstring injury.

These scoring options will cause trouble for a Pelicans team that has been much worse on defense than the raw numbers suggest. New Orleans is allowing its opponents 115.7 ppg, a number that is already below average and ranks 22nd in the NBA. However, this goal came despite the fact that the Pelicans play at one of the slowest paces in the league.

On a possession basis, New Orleans is one of the worst defensive teams in the league. They allow opponents to shoot 48.4% from the field and 37.8% from three-point range. That will be a serious problem against a Hawks team that allows almost every significant player to shoot from behind the arc. They’re not all great in threes, with only De’Andre Hunter shooting over 40% from deep, but they should produce plenty of open offense against the Pelicans.

There is simply too much talent on the Hawks side for a banged up, tired Pelicans team to keep up with them on the road tonight. I’ll use Atlanta as cover.

Pelicans vs. Hawks, same game play

Falcons -9.5

Below 230.5

Jalen Johnson Over 19.5 points

I want the Hawks to win by a big margin tonight, which gives me a chance to have a play in the same game while using some uncorrelated picks for value. I’ll take Atlanta as a spread again and combine that with the under. The Pelicans typically play a slow, low-scoring style of basketball, and Atlanta has also fallen well short of tonight’s total in its last two games.

Trae Young is not 100% tonight as he is playing with Achilles tendonitis. Not only is this another reason to take the under, but it also piques my interest in Jalen Johnson’s scorer. Johnson has scored more than 20 points in each of his last five games and should increase his offensive production as Young isn’t quite at his best tonight.

Learn how to place a bet in the same game with these helpful tips and strategies.

Pelicans vs Hawks odds

Pelicans vs Hawks live odds

Pelicans vs. Hawks opening odds

• Spread: New Orleans +9.5 | Atlanta -9.5
• Money line: New Orleans +368 | Atlanta -469
• Over/Under: Over 228 | Under 228

Odds courtesy of bet365.

Pelicans vs. Hawks distribution and over/under analysis

• The Hawks are 8-13 against the spread this year, while the Pelicans have been even worse for bettors at 7-14 ATS.
• Atlanta was present in the only other meeting between these teams this year, a 126-111 win at New Orleans.
• The over has a 14-7 edge in Atlanta games this season, while the under has a 12-8-1 edge in New Orleans contests.
• The Pelicans are playing with an overall average of 218.6 ppg. The Hawks are averaging 235.5 ppg.

Pelicans vs. Hawks trend

The Pelicans have lost each of their last three games by more than 11 points. Find more NBA betting trends for Pelicans vs. Hawks.

How to watch Pelicans vs. Hawks

Pelicans vs. Hawks recent injuries

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