Through 1 Quarter

The Atlanta Hawks are flexing their muscles against the Cleveland Cavaliers, showing why they were favored to win all along. The Hawks are in control with a 38-28 lead over Cleveland.

Atlanta has been relying on the performance of center Clint Capela, who has eight points along with nine boards and two blocks. Point guard Darius Garland has done his best for the Cavaliers, currently boasting 12 points (43% of their total) and four dimes in addition to one block. A double-double would be Garland’s third in a row.

Who’s Playing

Cleveland @ Atlanta

Current Records: Cleveland 42-34; Atlanta 39-37

What to Know

After a three-game homestand, the Cleveland Cavaliers will be on the road. They and the Atlanta Hawks will face off at 7:30 p.m. ET March 31 at State Farm Arena without much rest after finishing up games yesterday. Atlanta should still be feeling good after a win, while the Cavaliers will be looking to regain their footing.

Cleveland came up short against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday, falling 120-112. Power forward Kevin Love wasn’t much of a difference maker for Cleveland; Love finished with only eight points on 3-for-10 shooting in his 25 minutes on the court.

Meanwhile, Atlanta didn’t have too much trouble with the Oklahoma City Thunder on the road on Wednesday as they won 136-118. Point guard Trae Young continued his habit of dropping crazy stat lines, picking up 41 points and eight assists.

Cleveland is expected to lose this next one by 6. Those sticking with them against the spread have guts, to put it politely, as the squad has let down bettors in their past six games.

The Cavaliers are now 42-34 while the Hawks sit at 39-37. Two numbers to keep in mind before tip-off: Cleveland enters the contest with only 17.2 fouls per game on average, which is the best in the league. But Atlanta ranks fourth in the league when it comes to fouls drawn per game, with 20.4 on average. The ref’s whistle might dictate the flow of action in this one.

How To Watch

• When: Thursday at 7:30 p.m. ET
• Where: State Farm Arena — Atlanta, Georgia
• TV: Bally Sports – Ohio
• Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
• Follow: CBS Sports App
• Ticket Cost: $29.49

Odds

The Hawks are a solid 6-point favorite against the Cavaliers, according to the latest NBA odds.

The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Hawks as a 5-point favorite.

Over/Under: -110

See NBA picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get picks now.

Series History

Cleveland have won 17 out of their last 26 games against Atlanta.

• Feb 15, 2022 – Atlanta 124 vs. Cleveland 116
• Dec 31, 2021 – Atlanta 121 vs. Cleveland 118
• Oct 23, 2021 – Cleveland 101 vs. Atlanta 95
• Mar 14, 2021 – Atlanta 100 vs. Cleveland 82
• Feb 23, 2021 – Cleveland 112 vs. Atlanta 111
• Jan 02, 2021 – Cleveland 96 vs. Atlanta 91
• Feb 12, 2020 – Cleveland 127 vs. Atlanta 105
• Dec 23, 2019 – Cleveland 121 vs. Atlanta 118
• Dec 29, 2018 – Atlanta 111 vs. Cleveland 108
• Oct 30, 2018 – Cleveland 136 vs. Atlanta 114
• Oct 21, 2018 – Atlanta 133 vs. Cleveland 111
• Feb 09, 2018 – Cleveland 123 vs. Atlanta 107
• Dec 12, 2017 – Cleveland 123 vs. Atlanta 114
• Nov 30, 2017 – Cleveland 121 vs. Atlanta 114
• Nov 05, 2017 – Atlanta 117 vs. Cleveland 115
• Apr 09, 2017 – Atlanta 126 vs. Cleveland 125
• Apr 07, 2017 – Atlanta 114 vs. Cleveland 100
• Mar 03, 2017 – Cleveland 135 vs. Atlanta 130
• Nov 08, 2016 – Atlanta 110 vs. Cleveland 106
• May 08, 2016 – Cleveland 100 vs. Atlanta 99
• May 06, 2016 – Cleveland 121 vs. Atlanta 108
• May 04, 2016 – Cleveland 123 vs. Atlanta 98
• May 02, 2016 – Cleveland 104 vs. Atlanta 93
• Apr 11, 2016 – Cleveland 109 vs. Atlanta 94
• Apr 01, 2016 – Cleveland 110 vs. Atlanta 108
• Nov 21, 2015 – Cleveland 109 vs. Atlanta 97

Injury Report for Atlanta

• Lou Williams: Out (Ankle)
• Jalen Johnson: Out (Concussion)
• John Collins: Out (Finger)

Injury Report for Cleveland

• Rajon Rondo: Out (Ankle)
• Jarrett Allen: Out (Finger)
• Evan Mobley: Out (Ankle)
• Dean Wade: Out for the Season (Knee)
• Collin Sexton: Out for the Season (Knee)