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NBA Betting: Atlanta Hawks Season Long Handicapping 12/3/2025 vs. Los Angeles Clippers

by Spencer Toth - 12/3/2025

NBA betting Atlanta Hawks season long handicapping vs Los Angeles Clippers Kawhi Leonard

All year long, Doc’s Sports will be breaking down and providing free best bets for every Atlanta Hawks weekday game this season. Knowing this roster inside and out will allow us to generate a profit throughout the year, and all you have to do is tail the daily free picks to come for the ride. 

On Monday night, the Hawks lost a heartbreaker 99-98 against the Detroit Pistons. It was a back-and-forth contest with the largest lead being just seven points for either team. The Hawks came out on the wrong side of the thrilling affair that featured 27 lead changes and 14 ties. Jalen Johnson had another big night with a 29/13/7 stat line, while Nickeil Alexander-Walker continued his hot streak from deep, draining six threes. Even though Alexander-Walker scored more triples than the entire Pistons roster, Detroit edged out the win thanks to their dominance on the glass. A late scratch for Kristaps Porzingis allowed Detroit to outrebound Atlanta 60-34, and they made all those extra possessions count. 

From a betting perspective, we had a stellar 4-1 night, with three of the wins coming at plus money odds. We took the Hawks spread at +9.5 points, which was a sweat-free win, and the Hawks moneyline at +350, which fell short. In the player prop department, we correctly identified that Dyson Daniels would have a great night on the defensive end against Cade Cunningham. He logged over 2.5 steals at +115, and over 3.5 steals at +275. To top it off, Cunningham leads the league in turnovers at 4.1 per game, so even at a 4.5 line, we took the over and he finished with 6. We took a shot with some long odds on Monday, and it paid off in a big way to vault us back over the 20 unit mark in terms of profit this season. 

Tonight, the Atlanta Hawks (13-9) host the Los Angeles Clippers (5-16) in what should be a thrilling contest at State Farm Arena. These two teams have met once before this season, with the Hawks beating Los Angeles 105-102 in LA to kick off a four-game road win streak. James Harden posted a 35 point triple double in that matchup, and will be the Hawks primary focus on the defensive end tonight. Harden is certainly past his prime, but the talented guard is still one of the biggest offensive threats in the league. His poor defense has capped his postseason potential, but Harden is still more than capable of taking over a game on the offensive end. His 26.9 PPG and 8.4 assists both lead the team, and the Clippers are still a very dangerous team despite their 5-16 record. Joining the fray for LA is Kawhi Leonard. Leonard was injured when these two teams first met, and his arrival into the starting lineup will invigorate the Clippers. The two-way superstar has struggled to stay healthy, but he has proven that when he is available, there are very few other players in the league capable of doing what he does. He barely trails Harden with 26.4 PPG, but the difference is that he leads the team by a wide margin with 2.1 steals per game on the other end of the court. Harden and Kawhi are both heading to the Hall of Fame, and time is running out for the Clippers to turn their season around. Releasing Chris Paul was a shocking move they made last night, and it will be interesting to see how their bench unit responds after losing their leader. 

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For the Hawks, this is the perfect opportunity to get back on track against a struggling Clippers side. Atlanta has gone 4-4 in their last 8 games after ripping off five straight wins before that, and while injuries can be blamed, this team should still be doing better. They have the top-end talent they need with Johnson and Alexander-Walker on the offensive end, they have two-way stars such as Dyson Daniels and Zaccharie Risacher, and no shortage of depth on the bench. Even with Trae Young still hurt and Porzingis down with a mysterious illness, the Hawks will still fancy their chances at pulling out a win. Young will be out for at least two more weeks, and the Hawks have done a great job at racking up wins in his absence. Johnson’s emergence and Alexander-Walker’s stunning career turnaround have been the driving forces, but the reality is that this team is where they are thanks to a well-rounded roster. The play of someone like Onyeka Okongwu will go without leaguewide recognition, but the Hawks’ sixth man has been vital to their success. He has been able to fill in when Porzingis is in and out of the lineup, averaging 7.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. His impact on both ends of the court is noticeable, and having a legitimate backup center is mandatory in the modern-day NBA. 

We targeted the matchup between Dyson Daniels and Cade Cunningham on Monday, and we will be using similar logic tonight against James Harden. Cunningham and Harden are both in the top three in terms of turnovers this season, while Daniels leads the league with 2.3 steals per game. This is another great opportunity for Daniels to rack up a few swipes, and the odds still leave us with plenty of room for profit. In their previous meeting this season, Daniels collected three steals while Harden turned the ball over six times. In his career, Daniels has recorded at least three steals in five of the seven previous meetings where he played at least ten minutes. 

Tonight, we can get -105 odds on Daniels to collect at least three steals, +250 on at least four steals, and -140 odds on Harden to record at least five turnovers. While I am not over the moon about laying juice with this prop, we will still take all three picks, with an emphasis on Daniels to rack up steals. 

While I would normally take either the spread or the moneyline in most Hawks matchups, we will be staying away. Atlanta will be without Porzingis again tonight, and I don’t trust them to do enough on the glass and in the paint to control Ivica Zubac. Zubac is an animal down low, and if the Hawks finish with a -26 rebound differential as they did in Detroit, the Clippers will prevail. However, Los Angeles has been a mess this season, and with only a +2.5 point spread for the road team, we can’t justify them either against a scrappy Hawks side. 

Instead, we will target the total for the last bet of the night. The Hawks have gone over the total in 8 of their last 11 games, while the Clippers have done so in 7 of their last 11. Even though they only combined for 207 points in their previous meeting this season, the over at 226.5 points is still a solid pick. Paul's departure will help speed up the Clippers' second unit, and neither of these teams has looked competent on the defensive end over the last week. This is a matchup that either team can take if they play their best basketball, and that starts with a coherent effort on the offensive end. 

Pick: Dyson Daniels Over 2.5 Steals -105 3 Units

Pick: Dyson Daniels Over 3.5 Steals +250 1 Unit

Pick: James Harden Over 4.5 Turnovers -140 1 Unit

Pick: Hawks vs Clippers Over 226.5 2 Units

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