Tip-off: Tuesday, 7:05 p.m. ET
Line: Cleveland -8.5, Total: 207.0

The Cavaliers will be looking to stay unbeaten when they host the Hawks on Tuesday.

Atlanta has gotten off to a solid start this season, as the team is 4-2 both SU and ATS. The Hawks have, however, faced some lousy competition thus far. Their most impressive victory was a home win over the Rockets and their losses came at the hands of the Lakers and a one-win Washington team. They’ll need to really play well in order to pick up a victory over the Cavs, but it’s hard to say they have much of a chance in this one. Cleveland has been the best team in the league early on, as the Cavs are 6-0 SU and they are averaging a ridiculous 112.3 PPG this season (2nd in NBA). Cleveland also happens to be dominant in this head-to-head series over the years, as the team is 12-3 SU and 10-5 ATS when facing Atlanta over the past three seasons. That includes 7-1 SU and 6-2 ATS records when hosting the Hawks at Quicken Loans Arena. It’s worth noting that 29 of the 42 games played between these teams in Cleveland have gone Over the total since 1996, and nine of the past 15 games played between these teams over the past three seasons overall have gone Over as well. It’s also worth mentioning that the Cavs are 17-6 ATS when hosting Southeast division opponents over the past three seasons. One key absence in this contest will be SG Kyle Korver (Personal), as his wife gave birth the other day and he will not be able to attend this game.

The Hawks are once again running one of the league’s more efficient offenses, as they are averaging 107.3 PPG (8th in NBA) and 27.3 APG (3rd in NBA). Despite the arrival of C Dwight Howard (17.0 PPG, 12.3 RPG, 2.0 BPG), Atlanta is still moving the ball well and the team still gets it done from the outside. The team does, however, run a lot more of a four-out, one-in offense than it ever has. That’s because Howard is a dominant force in the paint and has regained his All-Star form from Orlando. His ability to score around the basket has opened things up for the Hawks’ perimeter players to make plays. One guy that is really benefiting from his presence is PG Dennis Schroder (15.0 PPG, 6.5 APG, 3.3 RPG). Schroder is a fantastic pick-and-roll player and he knows how to find his guys when they’re open around the rim. He should be in for a big game on Tuesday, as Kyrie Irving is not much of a defender. PF Paul Millsap (17.8 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 4.3 APG, 2.3 SPG) should also be in for a good performance on Tuesday. He is much stronger than Kevin Love, so that will help him get some buckets around the basket in this game. He’s also a guy to watch for defensively, as Millsap has had two or more steals in each of the past four games.

Cleveland has been a machine to start the season, as the Cavaliers are scoring 115.3 points per 100 possessions (1st in NBA) and they’re doing it at only the league’s 15th fastest pace. That means that Cleveland is making a remarkable amount of its attempts from the field and SF LeBron James (22.8 PPG, 10.7 APG, 8.8 RPG) has a lot to do with that. James is not shooting his usual percentages, but he does make everything easier for his teammates. When he is not scoring for himself, he is usually hitting his shooters with perfect passes. That shouldn’t change on Tuesday, as James should have no problem finding success against Atlanta. PG Kyrie Irving (23.0 PPG, 4.0 APG) should be able to light it up in this one on Tuesday also. The Hawks are a good team, but they tend to give up a lot of points and Irving will have the ultimate green light in this game. He’s not necessarily the biggest point guard in the league, but he does have some size on Schroder and that should allow him to utilize his post-game in this one. PF Kevin Love (21.7 PPG, 8.5 RPG) will be the x-factor for Cleveland, though. He must hold his own in his matchup with Paul Millsap or the Cavs will find it tough to win this one.