Tip-off: Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. ET
Line: Atlanta -7.5, Total: 208.0

The Pelicans will be going for their third straight win when they face the Hawks in Atlanta on Tuesday.

The Pelicans have been playing some solid basketball recently, as they have now won three of their past four games and four of their past six. New Orleans has also covered in four of those six games, and one of the two non-covers was a push. This team is getting better as it gets healthier, so people should not be too alarmed by the Pelicans’ 0-8 SU start. The Hawks, meanwhile, have now lost two straight games after winning six in a row. They lost 100-96 as two-point underdogs in Charlotte on Nov. 18 and followed that up with a 104-94 loss as four-point road favorites against the Knicks on Sunday. Atlanta has gone cold from deep, and that has seemingly been the problem for the team in its two losses. The Hawks shot less than 30% from the outside in both of those games, and they are a team that needs to knock some threes down. It’s worth pointing out that Atlanta is 7-3 ATS when playing as a favorite this season and also 6-1 ATS as a home favorite as well. The Pelicans, meanwhile, are 3-1-1 ATS when playing against an Eastern Conference opponent on the year.

The Pelicans have won two straight games and PG Jrue Holiday’s (21.5 PPG, 8.0 APG) return has given New Orleans a much-needed boost in talent. Holiday misses the first 12 games of the year due to personal matters, but he has returned in excellent shape. He had 21 points and seven assists in a win over Portland on Friday and followed it up with 22 points and nine assists against the Hornets on Saturday. He should be able to thrive in this meeting with Atlanta, as he is a lot bigger and stronger than Dennis Schroder. PF Anthony Davis (31.7 PPG, 11.3 RPG, 3.0 BPG) will also have no trouble dominating this game, as he has no problems doing that against any opponent. Davis has been a monster this season, and he is averaging 38.0 PPG and 12.5 RPG over the past two contests. His speed should be too much for both Paul Millsap and Dwight Howard on Tuesday, and he’ll also step out and knock down some threes.

The Hawks have gotten off to a good start this season and C Dwight Howard (14.7 PPG, 13.3 RPG, 1.8 BPG) seems to be enjoying his time in Atlanta. Howard was excellent against the Knicks, finishing the game with 18 points, 18 boards and two blocks in 29 minutes of action. He would really be dominant if he were to find a way to knock down some free throws. Howard is shooting just 48.4% from the line this season, and that would be a career low if it were to hold up the rest of the year. PF Paul Millsap (17.5 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 3.8 APG, 1.6 SPG) is going to be the x-factor in this game, though. Millsap must hold his own on both ends of the floor, and that is going to be tough against Anthony Davis. Davis is taller and faster than Millsap, but Millsap is stronger and savvier. He should figure out a way to score, but must find a way to keep him off the glass. PG Dennis Schroder (14.5 PPG, 5.7 APG, 3.2 RPG), meanwhile, must be better than he was against New York. He was a disaster in that game, finishing with only one point with three assists in 21 minutes of action. Shooting 0 for 8 from the floor definitely didn’t help.