Saturday, April 19, 7:00 PM on ESPN, SPSO

Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

Saturday night, the Atlanta Hawks and the Indiana Pacers will play Game 1 of their 1st Round Eastern Conference playoff series.  The teams split the four game regular season series with each team winning a game at home and on the road. Only one game of the series was actually close with the remaining games double-digit victories for the winner.  

The Atlanta Hawks might not have been a contender in the Eastern Conference but during the season they managed to beat the conference’s top teams.  When you win against the best, you gain the confidence to take on anyone.  But confidence alone won’t be enough to get past the Pacers. The Hawks will need to get their shots from behind the arc to contend in this series.  Atlanta has the shooters to do it but they will also need to keep an eye inside as well.  The series could be won or lost on rebounds, points in the paint, and second chance points.  If Atlanta keeps an eye on the entire court, they could win Game 1.

The Indiana Pacers were at the top of the heap in the Eastern Conference for most of the season.  But there were times when they didn’t look like the East’s best team.  At times, their play was sloppy.  There were times down the stretch when the effort just wasn’t there. It seemed like they were just waiting for the playoffs instead of focusing on the regular season.  If the Pacers don’t refocus themselves on the task at hand instead of looking towards tomorrow, they could have a hard time repeating last year’s playoff run when they reached the Eastern Conference Finals.         

ATS Trends

Atlanta is 17-23-1 ATS on the road this season

Atlanta is 24-17-0 against the over/under on the road this season

Indiana is 21-19-1 ATS at home this season

Indiana is 16-25-0 against the over/under at home this season

Injuries to Watch

Atlanta

12/31/13 G John Jenkins Back out for season
12/27/13 C Al Horford Shoulder out for season
02/21/14 F Gustavo Ayon Shoulder out for season

Indiana

03/20/14 C Andrew Bynum Knee out indefinitely

Tony's Pick: Take Indiana

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