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NBA Betting: Atlanta Hawks Season Long Handicapping 12/1/2025 vs. Detroit Pistons

by Spencer Toth - 12/1/2025

NBA betting Atlanta Hawks season long handicapping vs Detroit Pistons Jalen Duren

You have found the right place for all your Atlanta Hawks betting needs, as Doc’s Sports will be breaking down every weekday game, all year long. 

On Friday night, the Atlanta Hawks eliminated the Cleveland Cavaliers from the NBA Cup, with a 130-123 upset victory. Neither team advanced to the knockout stage, but it was still a meaningful win for Atlanta in a very tight Eastern Conference playoff race. Nickeil Alexander-Walker led the way with 30 points for Atlanta, with Jalen Johnson just behind with a 29-12-12 stat line. The Hawks were outrebounded by Cleveland, and struggled from deep, but their aggressive drives into the lane resulted in them going 32/48 from inside the arc. Donovan Mitchell exploded for 42 points, but it wasn’t enough as Cleveland fell apart on defense. 

From a betting perspective, we had a relatively even night. We sprinkled half of our wager on the Cavaliers spread (-5.5), and a pair of alt spreads (-10.5 and -17.5), all of which lost. However, we correctly identified Evan Mobley’s willingness to drift behind the three-point line, cashing both 1+ three (-265) and 2+ threes (+180) as he finished 3/6 from behind the arc. 

The Hawks kept up their winning ways yesterday, taking down the Philadelphia 76ers 142-134 in a double overtime victory. It was once again the Johnson and Alexander-Walker show for the Hawks, as the duo scored 41 and 34 points, respectively. No one else on Atlanta scored 20+ points despite an extra ten minutes of action, while Tyrese Maxey led the way for the 76ers with 44 points. While securing the victory was the top priority for Atlanta, the two extra frames of basketball mean they will be extra fatigued tonight on the second night of a back-to-back. 

The Hawks (13-8) wrap up a short two-game road trip with a visit to Little Caesars Arena in Detroit to take on the Pistons (16-4). The Pistons have been the surprise team of the season this year, building a nice lead at the top of the Eastern Conference while trailing only the 20-1 Thunder leaguewide. It is hard to imagine this team on a record-setting 28-game losing streak two years ago, as they are reaping the rewards of a patient rebuild. Cade Cunningham is the leader of the franchise and has entered his name into the MVP conversation with his immaculate play. His 28.8 PPG and 9.4 assists are both career highs, as Cunningham has become the heart and soul of this team on the offensive end. His ability to generate his own offense, operate in the pick-and-roll with Jalen Duren, and distribute the ball to his open teammates makes him invaluable for Detroit on offense. Cunningham’s inspiring play is a big reason why the Pistons are where they are in the standings. 

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Cunningham hasn’t been the only one with a breakout season this year, as Duren’s involvement on both ends of the court has been noticeable. He leads the team with 11.8 rebounds per night, third-most in the league, and trails only Cunningham with 19.5 PPG. His consistency in the paint has been something the Pistons have been missing, and he has given them real stability to play honest defense on the perimeter. Detroit is a dangerous team with emerging stars, and will look to take advantage of favorable scheduling against the Hawks to extend their lead at the top of the East. 

Atlanta has their work cut out for them tonight. Taking on the red-hot Pistons on the road is never easy, and it gets even tougher with a huge rest disadvantage for the Hawks. Their injury report has yet to be released, but other than Young’s ongoing knee injury, there isn’t anything that should prevent their stars from suiting up. The new NBA rest policy especially discourages resting on the road. Kristaps Porzingis did sit out yesterday due to illness, so there is a chance he is back tonight, which would be a huge lift for a drained Hawks side. 

Even without fresh legs, the Hawks still have what it takes to keep this one competitive. Atlanta is a sizable +9.5 point underdog in this one, and that is simply too many points. Alexander-Walker has stepped up admirably on the offensive end, and his partnership with Jalen Johnson has been refreshing for the Hawks fanbase this season. Losing Trae Young was expected to hurt the Hawks' offense, but they still have a top-half offense this season. Dyson Daniels is a beast on the defensive end with a league-leading 2.2 steals per game, and once you add in the Hawks' excellent depth, it is no surprise to see this team still thriving without their offensive spark. 

While Alexander-Walker’s breakout season has been fun to watch, the Hawks still need Jalen Johnson to be the leading contributor if they hope to upset the Pistons. Johnson demands double coverage when he goes into the post, but he does a great job at keeping his head up to find the open man. He is a menace on both ends of the court, and even after playing 45 minutes last night, the Hawks will lean on him again here. 

For the first bet of the night, we will take Atlanta to cover the spread. A point spread of +9.5 points is incredibly disrespectful to the Hawks, even with a rest and venue advantage for the Pistons. The Hawks have lost by double digits just three times this season, and the Pistons have just one double-digit win in the last six games. Detroit rarely blows teams out, and they have yet to win by 20+ points even once this year. The Hawks may struggle to win outright, but keeping this one moderately competitive is well within their capabilities. The +350 moneyline is also worth a sprinkle, but we will just be playing that for one unit while dropping four units on the standard point spread. 

For the second bet of the night, we will be targeting the matchup between Dyson Daniels and Cade Cunningham. Daniels will be draped over the Pistons' offensive spark plug all night, and has done very well at doing so in the past. Cunningham averages 4.1 turnovers this season, which is the most in the league, and that number balloons to a remarkable 5.3 turnovers in the six games he has played against Daniels in his career. Cunningham will still have his moments, but sloppy ball handling will be punished by the active hands of Daniels. The +115 odds on Daniels to record three or more steals are fantastic, and we will also sprinkle a unit on 4+ steals at +275. To cover our bases, we will also take Cade Cunningham to have over 4.5 turnovers at +115 odds. Cunningham has turned the ball over 8 times in back-to-back games, and this is a great price for a difficult matchup in Detroit. 

Pick: Atlanta Hawks (+9.5) 4 Units

Pick: Atlanta Hawks Moneyline +350 1 Unit

Pick: Dyson Daniels Over 2.5 Steals +115 2 Units

Pick: Dyson Daniels 4+ Steals +275 1 Unit

Pick: Cade Cunningham Over 4.5 Turnovers +115 2 Units

2025-26 Season Record:
Moneyline: 5-2

Spread: 9-10

Total: 0-5

Player Props: 11-3

Overall: 25-20
Total Units: Up 11.0 Units

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