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NBA Betting: Atlanta Hawks Season Long Handicapping 12/18/2025 vs. Charlotte Hornets

by Spencer Toth - 12/18/2025

NBA betting Atlanta Hawks season long handicapping vs. Charlotte Hornets Trae Young

Doc’s Sports is your home for Atlanta Hawks picks all season long, as we will be breaking down every weekday matchup while providing best bets along the way. 

Last week on Friday night, the Hawks got smashed by the Detroit Pistons 142-115. Their defense completely fell apart, and a couple of injuries to the Hawks allowed a healthy Pistons side to steamroll to victory. Detroit really flexed its depth in the win, as its leading scorer was Isiah Stewart with 17 points. The Hawks were unable to keep up with the pace of play Detroit deployed, and even another triple double from Jalen Johnson wasn’t enough to keep Atlanta close. From a betting perspective, we went 1-1. Dyson Daniels was unable to rack up steals against Cade Cunningham, as the duo didn’t spend more than 15 minutes on the court together. We cashed the Pistons (-7), as we correctly identified the areas of advantage the Pistons would have in the matchup. 

On Saturday night, the Hawks got back on track with a 120-117 win over the 76ers. They out-hustled Philadelphia down low, shot 51% from three-point range, and another Jalen Johnson triple double propelled them to victory. Instead of being dominated during the bench minutes like what happened against the Pistons, the Hawks' bench outscored the 76ers 34-9 in the win. 

The Hawks have had nearly a week off due to their lack of NBA Cup success, and they now enter the next stage of their season. The Eastern Conference is wide open, and the Hawks have done a good job at staying afloat while Trae Young recovers from his knee injury. Atlanta went 13-9 without Young in the lineup, and they are now expected to get their leader and point guard back for tonight’s matchup. 

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Tonight, the Atlanta Hawks (15-12) head to Charlotte to take on the Hornets (8-18). While every game is worth the same over the course of the 82-game schedule, this one feels important for the Hawks with Young returning to the lineup. The Hawks have been able to exceed expectations despite having their best player on the sidelines, and they will want to seamlessly reintegrate him into the rotation without disrupting their momentum. Even though they went 13-9 without Young and 2-3 with him in the first five games of the season, there is no doubt that the Hawks are a better team with Young on the court. He led the league with 11.6 assists per game last season and is the perfect floor general in Atlanta. Even more impressive is that he is doing this without ever having an All-Star teammate during his time in Atlanta. This is undoubtedly the strongest supporting cast Young has played with, and if he can get back into rhythm, the Hawks can run the table in the East. 

I said this two months ago, and I will say it again. Young’s injury, assuming he makes a full recovery, may have been the best thing that could have happened for Atlanta. Young is the type of player who needs plenty of the ball on the offensive end, but that comes at the cost of taking the ball away from other players. Jalen Johnson, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Onyeka Okongwu have all taken huge steps this year with more of the ball in their hands, and that wouldn’t have happened if Young had been healthy. Now that the new arrivals have had time to develop their offensive skills, the Hawks will be an even better team with Young back in the fold. 

For tonight’s game, getting Young back up to speed while taking care of business in Charlotte will be the primary targets. Kristaps Porzingis is still out with a mysterious illness, but the Hornets also have a lengthy injury list themselves. LaMelo Ball is expected back for Charlotte, but the Hornets are 5-11 with him and 3-7 without him, so it is not as if he makes a massive impact on this team. Ball’s lack of defense, similar to Trae Young’s, can hurt his team, but the difference is that the Hawks have surrounded Young with defensively sound role players. Charlotte struggles on the defensive end, and with Ball coming back, the Hawks will have plenty of opportunities to stuff the stat sheet tonight. 

For the first bet of the night, we will be taking Nickeil Alexander-Walker under 2.5 assists at +130 odds. Alexander-Walker’s transformation from a 3-and-D bench player to a crucial member of the Atlanta offense has been one of the best storylines of the season. His 20.4 PPG is more than 7 points higher than his previous career high, and he hasn’t posted double-digit scoring in a season since 2021-22. While his assists are up at 3.4 this season, I expect him to revert to his previous role with Young back in the lineup. Young demands plenty of the ball, especially early in the shot clock, which will take away Alexander-Walker’s chances to play distributor. Jalen Johnson has also been a triple double machine this season, and it is fair to expect plenty of two-man games between Young and Johnson. Alexander-Walker will still have his chances to score from behind the arc, but he will be less involved in the playmaking department with the Hawks' new starting five. 

For the second bet, we will take Zaccharie Risacher under 14.5 Points+Rebounds+Assists. Risacher has been one of the few disappointing pieces for the Hawks this season, and he has seen his minutes dwindle in recent weeks. While he has still found a way to be effective on offense, I expect him to take a back seat with Young returning. The Hawks do have the Spurs on tap for tomorrow night, which means a flattened minutes distribution will see Risacher fall short of this line. 

Finally, we will be playing it safe with the Hawks' moneyline at -210. Atlanta is the far better team than Charlotte, but I feel more comfortable taking this line and price than the -5.5 point spread. These two met a month ago with a 113-110 final score for the Hawks. I expect the Hawks to win again, and probably build a double-digit lead, but with one eye on their matchup tomorrow, the Hornets may be able to secure the back door cover. 

Pick: Nickeil Alexander-Walker Under 2.5 Assists +130 3 Units

Pick: Zaccharie Risacher Under 14.5 P+R+A 1 Unit

Pick: Atlanta Hawks Moneyline -210 3 Units

2025-26 Season Record:
Moneyline: 5-3

Spread: 12-10

Total: 0-6

Player Props: 16-7

Overall: 33-26

Total Units: Up 16.2 Units

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