There's something rather appealing about a total of 226.5 when one of the teams involved is Atlanta, an outfit that has demonstrated its ability to put points on the board throughout the opening stages of the season. The Hawks are averaging north of 118 points per game, making them one of the Eastern Conference's more productive offenses in scoring. The Birds are the best team in the NBA in field goals made (43.6) and no one shoots more than they do, averaging 96.3 attempts per game. This is a team that plays with pace and if they get going, they have a considerable amount of firepower to target a relatively meagre total. Considering that Brooklyn can leak points like a pasta strainer, we have to like what Atlanta can do here.
Now consider Brooklyn. The Nets haven't exactly been prolific offensively, but they're capable of contributing when the circumstances allow. A fast paced game naturally gives the Nets more opportunities and when allowed they scored 124 against Boston. To collect 227 points, we're essentially asking the Hawks to produce something resembling their season average while Brooklyn contributes around 109 points. That's hardly an outrageous proposition. Atlanta just gave up 132 points to Washington in a game where they scored 139. Given all the variables in play, I'm happy to back a game that has the potential to become considerably more proliferative than the number suggests.
Nets vs. Hawks prediction: Over 226.5 (-101) available at time of publishing. Playable to Over 227.
