Hawks vs. Spurs: The Battle of the Backups in Texas

The Atlanta Hawks and the San Antonio Spurs are colliding tonight at the Frost Bank Center in a matchup that looks drastically different on paper than it did in the preseason hype videos. If you bought tickets expecting a marquee shootout between Trae Young and Victor Wembanyama, you’re largely out of luck, but that doesn’t mean the product on the floor won’t be fascinating. Both squads are navigating significant absences, yet the vibes in Atlanta are surprisingly immaculate.

Despite Young lingering on the injury report with that MCL sprain since late October, the Hawks have been playing some of their most inspired ball of the season. They just wrapped up a 4-0 West Coast road trip that had the locker room buzzing, vaulting them from the cellar of the national power rankings all the way into the top 10 on some lists. That’s a massive leap. 

The catalyst? Nickeil Alexander-Walker. NAW has been an absolute revelation filling in at the point, averaging nearly 20 points a night and giving the Hawks a defensive identity they usually lack. Combine that with Jalen Johnson playing like a legitimate All-Star—dropping 22 points, 9 boards, and 6 dimes a night—and you see why Atlanta feels dangerous.

Sure, they hit a speedbump against Detroit recently, dropping a 120-112 decision that snapped their five-game heater, but this is a team with momentum. They aren’t just surviving without their franchise guard; they’re thriving.

On the other side, the Spurs are sitting pretty at 10-4 but are currently held together by duct tape and De’Aaron Fox. With Wemby shelved for at least a month and rookie standout Stephon Castle joining him in street clothes, San Antonio is leaning heavily on Fox to cook. Their defense remains elite—top 5 in the league—but the offensive load is heavy. They just scraped by the Grizzlies, but tonight is a different beast against a Hawks team that’s suddenly deep, confident, and hungry to prove the "Ewing Theory" correct.

The Line and The Leaning

We’ve got a tight one in Texas. The books are showing the Spurs as narrow -1 favorites, respecting their home-court advantage (where they are 7-2 straight up) despite the depleted roster. The moneyline sits at Spurs -115 and Hawks -105.

The total is hovering around 231.5, but the smart money might be looking at the spread. Atlanta has been a road warrior lately, and while Fox is terrifying, the Spurs lacking their rim protector in Wembanyama opens up the paint for Jalen Johnson to feast. The Hawks have been covering spreads on the road, and with San Antonio’s offense relying so heavily on one guy, Atlanta feels like the sharper play here. Expect the Hawks to bounce back from the Detroit loss, exploit the Spurs' thin frontcourt, and steal a win in San Antonio. Prediction: Hawks 114, Spurs 109.