With a month remaining within the NBA common season, one division remains to be broad open. The Miami Warmth are the consensus favourite to win the Southeast Division at -500 odds, they usually’re forward of the Atlanta Hawks (+350) and Washington Wizards (+2000) at DraftKings. If the season ended at this time, all three groups could be headed to the Jap Convention Play-In Match to find out the #7 and #8 seed within the playoffs.
Level guard Jimmy Butler (proper) from the Miami Warmth defends level guard Trae Younger (left) from the Atlanta Hawks in a Southeast Division recreation at American Airways Enviornment in Miami. (Picture: Getty)
The Southeast is the weakest division within the NBA this season and the precise odds don’t mirror the tight nature of this divisional race. The Warmth (35-32) maintain a 1.5-game lead over the Hawks (33-33), and are solely forward of the Wizards (31-35) by 3.5 video games.
The Hawks and Wizards every have 16 video games remaining on their schedule whereas the Warmth solely have 15 video games left.
The Warmth are at the moment in seventh place within the Jap Convention and path the sixth-place Brooklyn Nets by three video games, which implies they’re almost certainly headed to the Play-In Match. The Hawks occupy eighth place whereas the Wizards are in tenth place.
FiveThirtyEight predicts the Warmth will win the division and end the common season with 43 wins, adopted by the Hawks with 42 wins, and the Wizards with solely 39 victories.
Not Precisely a Lock: Warmth -500
The Warmth are the defending Southeast Division champions and have received the divisional crown eight occasions within the final 12 seasons.
After final yr’s success with the #1 seed, the Warmth have been the group to beat, in response to the preseason narrative. The Warmth have been put in because the betting favourite to win the Southeast Division at -165 odds whereas the Hawks have been their closest competitors at +170 odds. The Wizards, Charlotte Hornets, and Orlando Magic have been afterthoughts as lengthy photographs.
The Warmth stumbled out of the gate with a 2-5 document, which set the tone for the primary quarter of the season. It took till December 17 earlier than they’d a profitable document (16-15) for the primary time this season.
The Warmth discovered their groove in January. They ascended as excessive as fourth place within the convention standings earlier than they hit a wall previous to the All-Star break and started a four-game dropping streak. Of their final 10 video games, the Warmth are 3-7 and have slipped to seventh place.
The entrance workplace didn’t make any main strikes on the commerce deadline, regardless of rumors the Warmth was courting Bradley Beal from the Wizards. The Warmth acquired energy ahead Kevin Love after the deadline within the buyout market. Love joined the beginning lineup, however hasn’t made a lot of an influence by averaging solely 7.6 factors per recreation.
With 15 video games to go, the Warmth have a barely simpler schedule than the Hawks and Wizards, which is why they’re -500 odds to win the Southeast Division.
The Warmth’s opponents have a .484 mixed profitable proportion. They play 4 video games in opposition to the worst groups within the convention, with two video games every in opposition to the Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic.
Worth City: Hawks +350
It’s never a dull day in Atlanta with the Hawks. The franchise switched coaches in the midst of the season for the second time within the final three years. After Nate McMillian took over in the midst of the 2020-21 season, the Hawks received the Southeast crown and received scorching within the playoffs due to a number of sensational performances from guard Trae Younger. McMillian guided the Hawks to the 2021 Jap Convention finals, however that might be the apex of his tenure.
McMillian and Younger had a well-publicized falling out this season and the entrance workplace sided with Younger. The Hawks didn’t wait till the tip of the season to fireside McMillian and introduced in Quin Snyder for the remainder of the season. The Hawks hope historical past can repeat itself and {that a} new coach will encourage the group and conjure up one other deep postseason run.
The Hawks earned the #8 seed final yr via the Play-In Match however made a first-round exit within the playoffs. The highest-ranked Warmth knocked out the Hawks in 5 video games.
This yr, the Hawks and Warmth are on the right track to fulfill within the Play-In Match to find out the #7 seed. The Warmth beat the Hawks to win the regular-season collection 3-1 they usually don’t face one another within the remaining month of the season.
The Hawks have 15 video games remaining and probably the most tough schedule out of their divisional foes. Their opponents have a .510 profitable proportion, and the Hawks must play the Boston Celtics (twice), Philadelphia 76ers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Brooklyn Nets, and the surging Golden State Warriors.
Regardless of a tricky schedule, the Hawks provide worth to win the division at +450 odds as a result of they’re only one.5 video games behind the Warmth and have a further recreation to catch them.
Stay Lengthy Shot: Wizards +2000
The Wizards are on the appropriate facet of the playoff bubble however are nonetheless in a harmful place. They’re solely a half-game behind the Toronto Raptors (32-35) in ninth place. Nevertheless, the Chicago Bulls (30-36) and Indiana Pacers (29-37) are nonetheless within the hunt for a spot within the Play-In Match. The Wizards have a one-game lead over the Bulls and maintain a two-game lead over the Pacers.
The Wizards misplaced an in depth recreation in opposition to the Hawks in Atlanta on Wednesday evening by two factors. That assembly had playoff vibes and the 2 groups will sq. off twice extra this season. The Hawks host the Wizards once more on Friday in one other must-win recreation for Washington.
With 16 video games to go, the Wizards’ opponents have a .506 profitable proportion. The Wiz will play three video games in opposition to the worst groups within the NBA, together with the San Antonio Spurs, Detroit Pistons, and Houston Rockets.
The Wizards have a number of robust video games forward of them, together with matchups in opposition to the 76ers, Cavs, Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, Milwaukee Bucks, and Denver Nuggets. Two of their remaining three video games of the season are in opposition to the Hawks and Warmth, which might decide the Southeast Division title and the Jap Convention Play-In Match.
In accordance with FiveThirtyEight, the Wizards have a 28% probability to qualify for the playoffs.
