Atlanta Hawks vs Houston Rockets Prediction: Let's go back to Houston

Prediction for the Atlanta Hawks vs Houston Rockets match will occur on January 11. Who will turn out to be stronger? Check the team conditions! Several betting options are available.

The Hawks haven't played at home since 28 December. Quin Snyder's side traveled to Toronto at the end of December, where they beat the Raptors 136:127 before flying to the Western Conference. There, Atlanta has suffered four defeats in five games. The Hawks lost to Denver (120:139), Los Angeles Clippers (105:131), Los Angeles Lakers (102:119), and Phoenix (115:123) and only beat Utah (124:121).

As a result of the poor run, Atlanta lost a playoff spot in the East and is now ninth in the conference with a 19-19 record. The tournament also highlighted the Hawks' defensive woes, as they ranked 28th in efficiency rating, averaging 119.8 points per game.

The Rockets head into Atlanta on a three-game winning streak. Aimee Udoka's side kicked off the run with a 119:115 home win over the Los Angeles Lakers, then went on the road to defeat Eastern Conference chumps Washington (135:112) and a struggling Memphis team without their leading scorer Ja Morant (119:115).

As the recent results show, Houston's defensive play has fallen apart, although the Rockets still rank high in defensive rating - third in the league with an average of 107.1 points per game. Houston is second in the Western Conference standings with a 25-12 win-loss record.

Atlanta has had a disappointing road trip, but facing Houston is hardly a good time to improve their record. The Rockets haven't played their best against the Hawks in recent seasons. Still, they are one of the NBA's leaders, deservedly second in the Western Conference, and have won three games in a row heading into their trip to Georgia. Let's go back to Houston - Atlanta has one of the worst defenses of the season, while the Rockets have picked up their offense significantly in recent games.