Atlanta, GA
Atlanta Hawks vs. Orlando Magic Prediction, Preview, and Odds – 1-7-2024
The Atlanta Hawks travel to Orlando on Sunday to take on the Magic in an Eastern Conference showdown. Both teams have struggled a bit as of late with each going 4-6 in their last ten games. The Hawks are just 14-20 on the season while the surprising Magic are 20-15 on the season. The opening tap is scheduled for 6:00 PM EST.
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Hawks Having Trouble Taking Off
The Atlanta Hawks have struggled to a 14-20 mark up to this point, including six losses in their last ten games. Rumors are swirling that the team will be active at the trade deadline and they may be in for a major overhaul going forward. On Friday night, the Hawks were ambushed by the high-scoring Pacers on their way to a 150-116 blowout loss. The Hawks’ defense allowed the Pacers to shoot 64% from the field including 71% in the first half. Dejounte Murray led Atlanta with 30 points while his All-Star backcourt mate, Trae Young, was held to just 13 points on 4-of-18 shooting.
“Sometimes there are games where you didn’t play well and we didn’t,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said. “I don’t know we did anything at the level we need to win against these guys on the road. They’re obviously playing well and made it hard on us. We didn’t have it tonight.”
The Hawks come into Sunday’s action with the third-highest scoring offense in the NBA. The Hawks are 18th in field goal percentage thus far and 18th in 3-point shooting. They do rely heavily on the three-ball, ranked 7th in the NBA in 3-point field goals per game. On the defensive end, Atlanta is 28th in the NBA in points allowed per game. The Hawks are 30th in opponent’s shooting percentage and just 27th in 3-point defense. On the glass, Atlanta ranks 17th in the NBA in total rebounds per game. Despite the team’s stellar backcourt of Murray and Young, the Hawks are 17th in turnovers per game.
Key Injuries: SF De’Andre Hunter (knee) is out.
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Magic Gone?
The Orlando Magic have been one of the surprise teams in the NBA thus far and still are very much in the playoff picture with a record of 20-15 as the NBA season nears the halfway point. They have struggled lately, however, and won just four of their last ten games. In their last game, the young Magic team picked up one of their signature wins of the season in a 122-120 win in Denver against the defending NBA Champion Nuggets. Paolo Banchero led the way with a pair of free throws to give the Magic the lead with under ten seconds to go. Banchero ended with his first career triple-double finishing with 32 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists as the Magic rallied back from a deficit as much as 18 points in the game.
“Just the power of just positive energy and just pushing each other,” said Banchero, who was 15 of 19 from the free throw line. “We just told each other, ‘We’re all we got. We’re going to live with the result, whatever it is, but we’re not just going to roll over and let these guys blow us out.’”
Orlando comes into this game ranked 20th in the NBA in scoring offense. The Magic are 16th in field goal percentage and just 27th in 3-point shooting. They aren’t nearly as reliant on the 3-point shot as the Hawks, ranked 28th in the NBA in 3-point field goals per game. Defensively, the Magic are 11th in defensive scoring. They are 17th in opponent’s shooting percentage and 11th in 3-point defense. The Magic are one of the better rebounding teams in the league, ranked 8th in total rebounds per game. The young team, not surprisingly, struggles to protect the basketball and ranks 25th in turnovers per game.
Key Injuries: PF Jonathan Isaac (hamstring), SG Joe Ingles (ankle), PG Markelle Fultz (knee), SG Gary Harris (calf), SF Franz Wagner (ankle) are all out. C Wendell Carter Jr. (knee) is questionable.
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Best Bets for this Game
Full-Game Side Bet
Insiders Status:
Rating:
One of the things that has made the Magic so difficult to play this season has been the team’s depth. On Sunday, however, the Magic will be down several key players including Franz Wagner, and that depth will be challenged. The Hawks come into this game following a humiliating loss to an Indiana team that plays a completely different style of basketball than the Magic. The Pacers play fast and shoot the 3-ball often. The Magic play at a middle-of-the-road pace and don’t rely on the 3-point field goal nearly as much. In addition, without the bench strength, particularly at guard, on Sunday, the Magic will have problems containing Murray and Young.
Take the Hawks -1.
Prediction: Atlanta -1
Full-Game Total Pick
Insiders Status:
Rating:
The Hawks will be able to play this game at their pace on Sunday with the Magic down several key players including three key frontcourt players that would otherwise help control the glass for Orlando. I expect the Hawks to be able to play at their pace, the fifth-fastest in the NBA, and get more than one chance at the rim on each possession against a depleted Magic team. Look for this game to be played fast and in the 120s.
Take the over.
Prediction: Over 239.5
Atlanta, GA
Braves reportedly sign Robert Suarez to three-year, $45 million deal
The Braves were involved in a few rumors but nothing turned concrete. Maybe that’ll be the case in the near future? We’ll see what happens.
Well, less than 24 hours later, the Atlanta Braves have made two big free agency signings. They brought Mike Yastrzemski into the fold on a two-year deal and now they’ve apparently got the man that they were linked to earlier this week. There were multiple reporters saying that the Braves were interested in Robert Suarez and as it turns out, there was something to that rumor because Suarez is now a member of the Atlanta Braves.
Jeff Passan of ESPN is reporting that the Braves and Suarez have agreed to a three-year, $45 million contract.
The Braves were searching for a high-end reliever to pair with Raisel Iglesias after they brought him back on a one-year deal earlier this offseason and they’ve pulled it off with this deal. Although Suarez is heading into his Age-35 season, he’s coming off of the best season of his career where he finished with an ERA of 2.97 (73 ERA-), a FIP of 2.88 (71 FIP-), a career-low walk rate of 5.9 percent and a solid strikeout rate of nearly 28 percent. The Braves clearly feel that he can keep on providing that type of production and it’ll certainly be exciting to see him light up the radar gun with that elite heater of his that sits at nearly 99 miles per hour.
The All-Star hurler will now join a bullpen that suddenly looks pretty tough to deal with at the end of ballgames. Atlanta was in search of improving their bullpen and they’ve done just that with the addition of Suarez. While the Braves could still use a starting pitcher, they’ve definitely done a solid job of improving their roster here in the offseason and it’ll be very interesting to see what’s next for improving the squad going forward.
UPDATE [1:05 p.m. ET]: The Braves have officially announced the signing and also announced that they designated Ryan Rolison for assignment in order to make room for Suarez on the roster, so there’s that.
Atlanta, GA
Man found dead inside southwest Atlanta apartment | what we know
Atlanta police investigate the fatal shooting of a 38-year-old man at The Manor III apartments on Arthur Langford Junior Place in southwest Atlanta on December 10, 2025. (FOX 5)
ATLANTA – A 38-year-old man was found shot to death Wednesday evening at an apartment complex on Arthur Langford Junior Place.
What we know:
Atlanta police said officers were called to The Manor III apartments located at 262 Arthur Langford Junior Place SW around 7:31 p.m. on a report of shots fired. When they arrived, they found the man unresponsive with multiple gunshot wounds. Medical personnel pronounced him dead at the scene.
Homicide investigators spent the night collecting ballistic evidence, reviewing video and working with security at the complex. Detectives said the property has been cooperative and has provided footage that investigators are reviewing.
What they’re saying:
A police spokesperson at the scene said detectives are still working to determine whether the shooter acted alone or whether multiple suspects were involved. “Unfortunately, the male was pronounced deceased from multiple gunshot wounds,” the spokesperson said. “We are still early in the investigation trying to gather information and speak with witnesses.”
What we don’t know:
When asked about a potential motive, detectives said it was too soon to know.
What you can do:
Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers or reach out directly to the homicide unit.
The Source: The Atlanta Police Department provided the details for this article.
Atlanta, GA
Car crash deaths outpace murders, new report shows
A new report shows car crash deaths in metro Atlanta have now outpaced homicides. According to the street-safety group Propel ATL, data from 2020 through 2024 across five counties shows fatal crashes rising at a troubling rate.
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