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NBA Betting: Atlanta Hawks Season Long Handicapping 11/18/2025 vs. Detroit Pistons

by Spencer Toth - 11/18/2025

NBA betting Atlanta Hawks season long handicapping vs Detroit Pistons Tobias Harris

You have found the right place for all your Atlanta Hawks betting needs this season, as Doc’s Sports will be breaking down every game this year. There is no guarantee we will tail the Hawks on a nightly basis; in fact, that couldn’t be further from the truth. This isn’t a Hawks fan article, but rather proof that in-depth knowledge of any one team will allow you to exploit the trends and betting angles over the course of a season. All year long, Doc’s Sports will be providing free best bets on the Hawks’ matchups with the goal of churning a consistent profit. 

Doc’s Sports offers NBA picks for every game on our NBA predictions page.

On Thursday night, the Atlanta Hawks took down the Utah Jazz by a 132-122 scoreline. Kristaps Porzingis was ruled out shortly before tip-off, but the Hawks were still able to glide past the Jazz for their fourth straight win. Jalen Johnson had a monstrous night with a 31-point, 18-rebound, and 14 assist statline, while Onyeka Okongwu took advantage of his starting role with a team-high 32 points. Lauri Markkanen did his best to will his team to victory with his 40-point performance, but it wasn’t enough as the Hawks picked up a crucial road win. Atlanta shot 51% from behind the arc in the victory, and held the Jazz to just 19 fourth-quarter points to hold onto the win. 

From a betting perspective, we had a perfect 2-0 night. The Hawks were able to easily cover the modest -2 spread, which was a big 4-unit bet on our end. Our player prop of the night was Keyonte George to stay under 19.5 points, and we cashed by the finest of margins as he finished with exactly 19 points. We have gotten off to a red-hot start to the 2025-26 season, going 23-8 straight up with a total profit of 28.6 units. 

Just like this column, the Hawks refused to slow down on Sunday night. Atlanta dug itself out of a 22-point deficit to take down the Suns 124-122. Even more impressive is the fact that they were trailing by 22 points in the fourth quarter before erupting for 47 points in the final frame to secure a massive comeback win. Okongwu, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Johnson scored 27, 26, and 25 points, respectively, as the Hawks picked up another victory without Trae Young and Porzingis on the floor. Atlanta has now won five games in a row as they went a perfect 4-0 on their West Coast road trip, and have all the momentum heading into tonight’s game at State Farm Arena.

Tonight, the Atlanta Hawks (9-5) welcome the only team hotter than them right now to town, and that is the Detroit Pistons (12-2). Detroit has strung together ten consecutive wins for the first time since 2008 after they beat the lowly Pacers last night. The Pistons head to Atlanta on the second night of a back-to-back, but were able to lean on their bench yesterday as they took an 18-point lead into the fourth quarter. There is no spread for tonight’s matchup in Atlanta, as both the Pistons and Hawks are red hot heading into this game. 

Detroit is a very different team from the side that lost an NBA record 28 games less than two years ago. Their young stars have developed, they have solidified themselves in both the draft and free agency, and now sit on top of the Eastern Conference 20% of the way through the season. There is still a lot of basketball to be played, but the Pistons have been one of the real feel-good stories this season. Even more impressive is that they have been able to string together wins despite a lengthy list of injuries. Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren, Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris, and Isaiah Stewart have all missed multiple games this season, yet Detroit keeps finding ways to win. They have controlled the glass (5th in rebounds), they have generated steals (2nd most in the league), and have the second-best defensive rating in the NBA. Thompson has been their defensive rock, but it has been an overall team effort that has led to their early success. 

In tonight’s matchup, both teams still have murky injury reports. The Hawks have listed Okongwu, Porzingis, and Zaccharie Risacher as questionable, while the Pistons are taking their time before making any injury decisions on a back-to-back. Who suits up for both teams will have a huge impact on this result, as both sides bring in plenty of momentum. Cunningham and Johnson have been two of the best players in the league during the young season, and both will have instrumental roles to play for their respective sides tonight. While stepping in front of the red-hot Pistons feels foolish, there is no way we can turn down the equally hot Hawks in the home underdog role. Johnson has been playing truly unstoppable basketball for Atlanta, dominating the glass, filling the hoop, and setting up his teammates. He leads the team in PPG, Rebounds, and is second behind Young in assists per game. His 1.8 steals have also made an impact, as Johnson has stepped up admirably in Young’s absence. For the first pick of the night, we will tail the rested Hawks at home at -105 on the moneyline. It will only be a one-unit bet considering the lack of information on who will be suiting up for Detroit, but I am still confident in taking the Hawks at this price. 

For the second bet of the night, we will take Under 230.5 points. The Pistons have one of the best defensive units in the league, and the Hawks aren’t too far behind either. While both have been strong on offense, the combination of tired legs from Detroit and lingering injuries to the offensive stars in Atlanta makes the under the way to go. Both sides are 7-7 to the over this season, but the Pistons are 6-2 to the under with 230+ totals, while the Hawks are 5-4 to the under at this line or higher. It won’t be a defensive snoozefest, but the final score will stay just under this mark in a thriller. We will be passing on the player props for tonight, as there isn’t enough information on either side's starting five to make an accurate prediction. 

Pick: Atlanta Hawks Moneyline -105 1 Unit

Pick: Hawks vs Pistons Under 230.5 -110 3 Units

2025-26 Season Record:
Moneyline: 5-0

Spread: 9-2

Total: 0-4

Player Props: 9-2

Overall: 23-8
Total Units: Up 27.6 Units

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