Mar 25, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (7) dribbles defended by Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (0) in overtime at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Atlanta Hawks Playoff Odds See Noticeable Jump After Win Over Detroit

Originally posted on Atlanta Hawks on SI
By Jackson Caudell | Last updated Mar 26, 2026 10:41 AM ET

The Atlanta Hawks went on the road last night and got a very impressive victory against the Detroit Pistons. Atlanta led by 18 at halftime, gave that lead up with a poor third quarter, had the game go into overtime, and survived some missed shots from Detroit as the buzzer went off to get the win. It was the third straight win for the Hawks and 14th in the last 15 games.

Playoff odds

With the Hawks win and Raptors loss last night, Atlanta is now in 5th place in the Eastern Conference and that was something that seemed unthinkable just a few weeks ago.

The win last night gave the Hawks a bump in the latest playoff odds according to ESPN's BPI. BPI is now giving the Hawks a 91.8% chance to make the playoffs (up from 87.1%) and a 70.6% chance to make the top six of the Eastern Conference (up from 58.2%).

Here is how BPI views the rest of the Eastern Conference race.

Team	Playoff Odds	Top Six Odds	Play-In Tournament Odds
Toronto Raptors	81.6%	53.9%	46.1%
Philadelphia 76ers	68.5%	30.8%	69.2%
Orlando Magic	43.3%	9.6%	90.4%
Charlotte Hornets	61.3%	16.2%	83.8%
Miami Heat	53.6%	19.0%	81.0%

According to BPI, the favorites to be seeded 5-8 are Atlanta, Toronto, Philadelphia, and Charlotte. Right now, Orlando and Miami are projected to be teams on the outside looking in and heading to the draft lottery.

The Hawks still have plenty of work to do to make this a reality though. They have nine games left and it is one of the toughest slates in the NBA. They have two games vs the Celtics, two vs Cleveland, and games against Orlando, Miami, and New York coming down the stretch over the next couple of weeks before the bracket is finalized.

That is why last night's win was so important. Yes, the Pistons were missing Cade Cunningham and Isaiah Stewart, but the Pistons just ended the Lakers nine game winning streak and have a winning record without Cunningham this season. Atlanta has two games remaining against tanking teams and they also need to take care of business against those teams.

Just because they have been playing well, does not mean that they can't fall back into the play-in tournament. The good news is that the Hawks have the tiebreakers over Philadelphia and Orlando, while not having them against Charlotte and Toronto, with one game remaining against Miami. The Hawks are rolling right now and are playing their best basketball of the season.

Will they be able to take that momentum and go get a win against the Celtics in Boston?

This article first appeared on Atlanta Hawks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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