Two of the most injured teams in the NBA will face off tonight in New Orleans. The Hawks are on a three-game losing streak heading into tonight’s game against the Pelicans and they could really use a win before Monday’s game against the Celtics.

The Hawks’ offense hasn’t been a big problem this season, although they haven’t been elite either. With the injuries, the defense has really suffered, but it could be helped if Daniels returns tonight to face his former team.

Heading into tonight’s game, the Hawks are 11th in the NBA in PPG, 15th in FG%, 14th in 3PA, 17th in 3P%, 2nd in FTA, 20th in rebounding, and 19th in turnovers. By Clean the glassAtlanta is 16th in points per 100 possessions, 13th in field goal percentage, 19th in turnover percentage, 18th in offensive rebound percentage and 3rd in free throw rate.

Atlanta is 28th in PPG allowed, 16th in field goal percentage allowed, 27th in 3PA allowed and 30th in 3P% allowed. According to Cleaning the Glass, the Hawks are 26th in points allowed per 100 possessions and 25th in effective field goals allowed percentage.

The stats, advanced or not, haven’t been great for New Orleans so far this season. New Orleans is 24th in points per game, 19th in field goal percentage, 27th in three-point attempts, 15th in three-point percentage, 18th in free throw attempts, 15th in rebounds and 13th in turnovers. According to Cleaning the Glass, the Pelicans are 23rd in points per 100 possessions, 24th in field goal percentage, 16th in turnover percentage, 11th in offensive rebound percentage and 21st in free throw rate.

Defensively, New Orleans is 16th in PPG allowed, 21st in field goal percentage allowed, 15th in three-point attempts allowed, and 25th in three-point percentage allowed. According to Cleaning the Glass, New Orlenas is 16th in points allowed per 100 possessions and 20th in effective field goal percentage allowed.

Trae Young has had to carry a heavy load for the Hawks the last two games because they are shorthanded and even if Daniels is back tonight, that might not change. Young had 25 points on 8-21 shooting along with 12 assists on offense. With Jones and Murphy out for New Orleans, Young might have an easier time on offense without his top wing defenders guarding him.

Daniels returning would be huge from a defensive standpoint, but he is also a plus ball handler and has been a good floor spacer as well. Keep an eye on his status today.

It’s been a tough task for No. 1 pick Zacharie Risacher in terms of shooting, but he’s contributed to the Hawks in other ways. Still, for him to be as effective as possible, the Hawks need Risacher to be a viable threat when shooting the ball and he was 1-9 in nearly 20 minutes last night.

Jalen Johnson had been playing well heading into Friday’s game against the Kings, but he had a rough night on offense. He finished with 14 points, nine assists and five rebounds while shooting 4-10 from the field.

Atlanta will have Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu tonight and they could have big nights. The Pelicans’ center rotation consists of rookie Yves Missi and Daniels Theis, but Missi is playing well. Still, Capela and Okongwu are veterans and have the advantage in this matchup.

The Hawks bench played well, especially Garrison Matthews and Keaton Wallace. Matthews had 23 points and made seven three-pointers against the Kings and kept the Hawks in the game. Wallace has been very good in the last two games for both sides and will earn more minutes moving forward.

According toFanduel sports bettingNew Orleans is a 4.5-point favorite tonight and the total is set at 229.

I think the Hawks are going to be desperate to win this game. They have lost four straight and will play a game against the Celtics tomorrow, a game in which they will be heavy underdogs. If Daniels plays, he could give the Hawks the boost they need to win the game. I think the Hawks are going to have a big advantage at center that could allow them to gain additional possessions. The duo of Trae Young and Jalen Johnson outplays Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson and Atlanta takes the win.

Final: Hawks 116, Pelicans 113