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NBA Betting: Atlanta Hawks Season Long Handicapping 3/25/2026 vs. Detroit Pistons

by Spencer Toth - 3/25/2026

NBA betting Atlanta Hawks season long handicapping vs Detroit Pistons Onyeka Okongwu

You have found the right place for all your Atlanta Hawks picks and predictions, as Doc’s Sports will be breaking down every Hawks weekday matchup all season long. We will not always favor the Hawks, but after an incredible season of more than 80 units of profit, we now have our sights set on the 100-unit mark before the season’s end. 

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

On Monday night, the Hawks took care of business with a 146-107 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies. The Hawks had the game wrapped up by halftime with a 25-point lead and stretched that to a 116-75 lead heading into the fourth. They were able to rest their starters as a result, with no player seeing more than 26 minutes of on-court action. Nickeil Alexander-Walker led the way with 26 points on an efficient 8-for-11 night from the floor, while CJ McCollum tacked on 9 assists and a game-high +31 +/-. Memphis was incredibly banged up with a long injury report allowing the Hawks to dominate in nearly every facet of the matchup. 

From a betting perspective, we had a perfect 5-0 night to bring our season total to 10.1 units of profit. On the spread, we happily laid the 14 points with the Hawks at home, and they made it look easy with a 39-point victory. We also identified that Alexander-Walker was poised for a big game, and despite his reduced minutes due to the lopsided scoreline, we went 4-0 on his props. He cashed both 20+ and 25+ points after finishing with 26, and both 3+ and 4+ threes after finishing 4-for-6 from behind the arc. We got aggressive with a matchup we liked, and it paid off with 10.1 units of profit on Monday night. 

Tonight, the Atlanta Hawks (40-32) embark on a mini two-game road trip that starts in Detroit against the Pistons (52-19). Detroit is perched on top of the Eastern Conference with a five-game lead over second-place Boston with ten games left in the regular season. They are poised to lock up the top seed, but a mysterious Cade Cunningham injury has dominated the headlines. Cunningham was an MVP contender before he got hurt, averaging 24.5 PPG with 9.9 assists and 1.5 steals. He is the heart and soul of the Pistons roster, but a collapsed lung has left him on the sideline with no timetable for a return. The Hawks catch a break by avoiding Cunningham tonight, but this is far from an easy win as Atlanta still finds itself in the underdog role, and Jalen Johnson’s status is also up in the air. 

This could be a blessing in disguise for the Pistons, as they will have a chance to develop and evaluate the rest of their roster over the last dozen games with little to play for other than playoff momentum. Jalen Duren has stepped up as the leading scorer, he is the Most Improved Player favorite, and averages 19.1 PPG with 10.5 rebounds this season. However, Duren can’t create his own offense and still relies on screen-and-rolls or deep post positions to find success on the inside. The Pistons' backup point guard, Daniss Jenkins, has risen to the occasion, scoring 22 and 30 points in his last two games while posting 8 assists in each matchup. Jenkins doesn’t operate with the same efficiency as Cunningham, but he can still effectively manage an offense while clamping down on the other end of the court. Detroit is where they are in the standings thanks to strong defensive play from players like Ausar Thompson and Ron Holland II, and they have been able to overcome Cunningham’s injury (so far) with wins over the Wizards, Lakers, and Warriors. 

Atlanta needs to take advantage of this opportunity in Detroit. The Hawks have the 5th-hardest remaining schedule in the NBA, meaning their place in a playoff spot is far from secure. Winning 13 of their last 14 has certainly gone a long way, but their sixth-place status has them a mere two games ahead of the 10th-place Heat. They have managed to keep their hot streak alive even though Johnson has missed time with a lingering injury, and they will feel confident they can go toe-to-toe with the Pistons, whether or not he suits up. 

In most matchups, the Hawks have a depth advantage thanks to a lengthy bench and a balanced starting five. Detroit is just as deep as Atlanta, relying on a 10- or even 11-man rotation on a nightly basis. Injuries to Cunningham, Isiah Stewart, and Javonte Green will force them to tighten their bench, as the reliable Green misses his first game of the season tonight. This swings the advantage back in the Hawks’ favor, and I just don’t see why they are in the underdog role. 

On the outside, the Hawks have been automatic from behind the arc, with Alexander-Walker, McCollum, Corey Kispert, and Gabe Vincent all finding sustained success. The Pistons struggle to defend against wing threats, and another big game for that quartet is on the cards. Losing Johnson in the paint will hurt their size, but Onyeka Okongwu has the stature needed to battle against Duren. On the other end, his three-point shooting ability will draw the Pistons' big man away from the hoop when the Hawks have the ball. Duren is a dreadful on-ball defender in the open court, and a big game from Okongwu can be expected tonight. 

It feels wrong to disrespect a team sitting on top of the East, but it is hard to get too excited about Detroit without their leading scorer. Their win over the Lakers was impressive, but no credit will be given for beating the Wizards and Curry-less Warriors. This current roster still has too much to prove for Detroit, and we will happily scoop up the Hawks in the underdog role. Atlanta has found success on the road all season, and +130 moneyline odds are a real gift from the sportsbooks. Atlanta has won 12 of their last 13 games; they have covered the spread in all but one of those victories, and there is no reason to overthink this one with the line where it is.
For the second bet of the night, we will take Okongwu to go over 1.5 threes at -105 odds. Okongwu has turned into one of the best shooting big men in the league, and he is getting a dream matchup against Duren tonight. There is always variance with the three-point bets, but this is a great spot to ‘buy the dip’ after Okongwu was shutout from behind the arc in each of his last two games in difficult shooting matchups. 

Finally, how can we do anything other than tail Nickeil Alexander-Walker again? He is averaging 20.4 PPG this season and has scored 20+ in five of his last six and eight of his last ten, yet we are getting +110 odds for him to do so again. We won’t be going as crazy as we did against the Grizzlies with three-pointers or ladders, but I just don’t know how we can do anything other than tail the Hawks' hottest star at a very reasonable price. 

Pick: Atlanta Hawks Moneyline +130 3 Units

Pick: Onyeka Okongwu Over 1.5 Threes -105 2 Units

Pick: Nickeil Alexander-Walker 20+ Points +110 3 Units

2025-26 Season Record:
Moneyline: 15-6

Spread: 19-18

Total: 3-10

Player Props: 54-27

Overall: 92-60

Total Units: Up 82.9 Units 

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