Washington Wizards vs. Atlanta Hawks: Game 6 Prediction, Betting Odds, TV Channel

The first of three Game 6’s gets underway Friday night when the Washington Wizards visit the Atlanta Hawks. The Wizards are looking to clinch a spot in the conference semifinals, while the Hawks are hoping to force a deciding Game 7.

The contest is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. EDT, and it will actually be broadcast on two TV channels. Both NBA TV and ESPNU will carry Game 6, and fans can watch a free live stream online with WatchESPN.

If the rest of the series is any indication, the Hawks are going to stave off elimination for at least one more night. The home team has won every game, and oddsmakers indicate they believe the trend will continue. Atlanta is a three-point favorite, via OddsShark. The Game 6 over/under is 210.

“Nobody has taken over the series because nobody has won on the opposing team’s court yet,” John Wall said after Game 5. “We know they have an amazing crowd. They are definitely going to come out and be loud.”

The series has been highlighted by strong point guard play, and not just from the Wizards. That certainly was expected of Wall, who’s one of the NBA’s best players. Dennis Schroder, however, has been the big surprise of the series, nearly matching Wall in productivity.

In his first playoff series as Atlanta’s starting point guard, Schroder is averaging 24.4 points and 7.2 assists per game. He nearly helped the Hawks steal Game 5 on the road by hitting big shots down the stretch and finishing with 29 points.

Paul Millsap had a double-double in Game 5, but the rest of the team didn’t do enough to give the Hawks the series lead. Dwight Howard scored just five points, and he’s totaled more than seven points just one time this series. Tim Hardaway Jr. scored just 15 points on 18 shots, while Taurean Prince needed 11 field goal attempts to score 10 points.

Atlanta’s role players, however, should perform better as they return home. Washington will need their bench to produce, considering the unit has been shaky on the road against the Hawks. They played well enough Wednesday night, helping the Wizards get the 103-99 victory. Bogan Bogdanovic scored 14 points in Game 5, and Brandon Jennings sparked the team with some good defense at the start of the fourth quarter.

“That's what we have to do from the bench,” Bogdanovic said Wednesday night, via nba.com. “Brandon did a great job of putting pressure on their point guard and we had a couple of steals, a couple of easy buckets.”

In Atlanta, the likes of Marcin Gortat and Markieff Morris will also need to contribute. They were practically invisible in Game 3 and Game 4, combining to score just 22 points. The Hawks were able to have their way with the Wizards in the paint, and they’ll stay alive in this series if that remains the case in Game 6.

With how close this series has been played, it only makes sense for it to be decided in a Game 7.

Prediction: Atlanta over Washington, 105-100