Hawks and Spurs Play Preseason Dress Rehearsal—Bet the Under

The Hawks roll into San Antonio for an October 8th preseason tune-up, and if you're expecting regular-season fireworks, pump the brakes. Last year these squads could fill it up—San Antonio posted a 117.5 offensive rating, Atlanta wasn't far behind at 114.1, and both teams pushed tempo in the 102-103 range. On paper, that screams shootout. In reality? It's October basketball, where starters log 20 minutes if they're lucky and the final quarter belongs to camp invites who couldn't hit water from a boat.

DarkHorse likes the under 227.5 here, and the logic is airtight. Preseason rotations go 15-20 deep, filled with two-way guys and G-League hopefuls hunting roster spots, not efficient offense. Coaches tinker, substitution patterns are chaotic, and execution nosedives once the third-stringers check in. History says these exhibitions undershoot regular-season totals by 8-15 points, and this line is priced like both teams are in midseason form. They're not. Expect plenty of brick-laying in the second half when the depth chart gets weird. Lock in the under and thank us when the final horn sounds with 210 on the board.