Los Angeles Lakers vs Atlanta Hawks 2/1/21: Starting Lineups, Matchup Preview, Betting Odds

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Atlanta Hawks Matchup Preview

The Lakers continue their East Coast road trip and face the Hawks tonight, who are 10-9 and currently 6th in the standings. They are averaging 113 points per game and allowing 110 on the year, with the defense, improved from last season. The Lakers are a game behind the Clippers for first place in the West and are 7-3 in their last ten games. The Lakers defense continues to be a force allowing 104 points per game, and LeBron James is doing what no 36-year-old should be doing, averaging 25-7-7 this season. We will see one of the youngest teams in the league take on one of the oldest tonight, and oddsmakers have the Lakers as just five-point favorites. Los Angeles has been dominant on the road this season going 11-2. There are no injury indications that anybody will sit out tonight, which is a major plus with how this season has gone. For odds movement and full matchup history, visit the Los Angeles Lakers at Atlanta Hawks Matchup Page.

TV Schedule

Date: 2/1/21
Time: 7:30 PM ET
Arena: State Farm Arena – Atlanta, GA
Channel: Fox Atlanta

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Lakers Starting 5

PG: LeBron James
SG: Dennis Schroder
SF: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
PF: Anthony Davis
C: Marc Gasol

Lakers Analysis

Many thought the Lakers would be a bit on cruise control out of the gates, but that has not been the case. They have the third-best record in the west, and it is a close race with them, the Jazz, and the Clippers. They are first in defensive rating and 8th in offensive rating. Both of these teams play at a near league-average pace so that I wouldn’t expect a ton of up and down temp. Since last year, not much has changed as the Lakers are bottom ten in three-point attempts and are top ten in blocks and rebounding. The Hawks shooters will have a tough time against the Lakers tonight, who have held opposing teams to the third-lowest three-point percentage and the 7th lowest FG% overall. The King is having an MVP-like season, averaging 25-7-7. He is shooting 41% from three and 49% from the field. Anthony Davis has played second-fiddle and not been much of a talking point this season, but he’s 22 and 9 season is solid. Newcomers Dennis Schroder and Montrezl Harrell have been the 3rd and 4th best scoring options this season. We should certainly believe this team is far better than last season. While this should be a contested game, the Lakers have the experience and defensive edge of shutting down a young Hawks team.

Hawks Starting 5

PG: Trae Young
SG: Cam Reddish
SF: Kevin Huerter
PF: John Collins
C: Clint Capela

Hawks Analysis

As mentioned above, the Hawks have been far better on the defensive side than the last few years. They were bottom five in defensive rating last season and currently rank 10th. They are also 7th in offensive rating and top ten in points per game on the year. There is a lot of promise for the Hawks, who will be competing for that 6-8 range in the playoff seeding. We are now a quarter of the way through the year, and the standings will really start to take within the next month or two. Adding Clint Capela was a big plus last season, and we are starting to see that pay off after the injury finally. The rebounding with him and John Collins has improved greatly, as they rank third in rebounding. Of course, they will have their hands full tonight taking on the Lakers, who have an abnormally big roster for this day and age. Trae Young is averaging 27 points per game this season but is shooting 42% from the field. The continued up and down stretches is something the Hawks have to live with, but getting steady production out of De’Andre Hunter has really elevated this team to the next level. He is averaging 17 points per game this season and also five boards and two assists. He is dealing with some knee issues and will be re-evaluated in a week. With Bojan Bogdanovic on the shelf, Kevin Huerter and Cam Reddish have had to pick up the slack. Both have had sporadic shooting performances so far this season.

Lakers & Hawks DFS Angle

There are ten games tonight, and this game sits in the middle of the slate as far as the game total goes. While the Hawks have improved defensively, they still don’t have anyone to stop Anthony Davis and LeBron James. While there are many studs on this slate, you can continue to build around those two. James has averaged 49 fantasy points per game over the last ten games. Davis is averaging 45, but some options around him have been just as good. Dennis Schroder and Montrezl Harrell are fine mid-range values, but the ceiling has been average for their price tags. While the matchup is tough, Clint Capela has averaged 44.8 fantasy points over his last ten and has a 58 fantasy point ceiling in his last ten games. I don’t mind him as a GPP option, given the upside, and the matchup numbers should keep ownership down. Trae Young is a solid upside play as usual. He has 48 fantasy points on average over his last ten games and a 33% usage rate. Tough matchup, but he is an excellent pivot. Huerter and Reddish are nothing but dart throws and hoping they have a hot night from the field.

Lakers vs. Hawks Betting Odds

Lakers Spread: -5
Lakers Moneyline: +145
Hawks Spread: +5
Hawks Moneyline: -165
Over/Under Points Total: 218.5

The five-point spread has certainly caught a lot of people’s attention as 70% of bets are coming in on the Lakers side, and 60% are coming in on the over. Los Angeles hasn’t covered well this year, going 10-11 ATS this season, while the Hawks are 11-8 ATS. The under has also been very favorable for both sides, and I do like the under tonight. I don’t see the Hawks having a great offensive game, and the Lakers are averaging 112 per game. Both teams play at an average pace. In the last three games against the Lakers, the Hawks have shot 40% from the field as a team and averaged 104 points per game.