The Atlanta Hawks hope to turn around their first-round series with the Boston Celtics when they host Game 3 on Friday night, looking for their first playoff win this season. Atlanta won its first play-in game to advance to the postseason but has had its troubles scoring in the first two games of this series.
Boston has been dominant on both ends of the floor for much of the series and is looking to move to the brink of the conference semifinals with a win. We’ll look at the NBA odds today and this game and put together a solid Celtics vs Hawks prediction for you to make some bets on.
Celtics vs. Hawks Odds
Boston Celtics vs. Atlanta Hawks Information
Boston Celtics vs Atlanta Hawks
Location of the game: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA.
Date and Time: Friday, March 21, 2023, 7:00 PM ET.
How to Watch: ESPN
Boston Celtics vs. Atlanta Hawks Recent Scores
The Celtics have actually won five straight games, including three in a row against the Hawks, who they faced in the last game of the NBA schedule for the regular season as well.
Boston is perfect against Atlanta in 2022-23, taking all three matchups in the regular season, including two on the Hawks’ home floor.
Boston Celtics vs. Atlanta Hawks Betting Analysis
Celtics Facts to Know
The Boston Celtics have two of the biggest stars in the NBA in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, who ranked high in the NBA player stats for scoring this season and have come through with many postseason gems in the past. But this team can make another run to the NBA Finals thanks to its supporting cast as well.
While Tatum had 29 points and ten rebounds in the Game 2 win, guard Derrick White contributed 26 points, seven rebounds, and three blocks.
Players like Al Horford, Marcus Smart, and newly-crowned Sixth Man of the Year Malcolm Brogdon are able to make Boston Celtics games blowouts when they get hot from the perimeter.
But it’s the team’s work on the defensive end that makes it so hard to beat. Boston ranked fourth in the NBA team stats for scoring defense in the regular season, holding opponents to 111.4 points, and have limited the Hawks to an average of 102.5 points in the first two games of this series.
Hawks Facts to Know
Things change when the Atlanta Hawks schedule has them playing at home, as they went 24-17 at State Farm Arena this season (compared to a 17-24 mark on the road).
The NBA playoffs schedule isn’t going to get Atlanta a majority of its games at home, so it will have to win on the road, but first things first: Win a game in the series.
To do so, Atlanta must have better play from guard Trae Young, who is averaging just 20.0 points and 7.0 assists in this series after putting up 26.2 points and 10.2 assists per game in the regular season. He’s also averaging 5.0 turnovers per contest and shooting just 3-of-13 from beyond the arc.
The Hawks also need more from their supporting cast. John Collins (8.5 points), Bogdan Bogdanovic (13.5 points), and Saddiq Bey (3.0 points) can get hot from the perimeter to help burn the Celtics’ defense.
Guard Dejounte Murray (26.5 points) has been the most consistent offensive threat for the Hawks, and he’ll have to keep that up in this one.
Updates
Your Celtics vs Hawks prediction doesn’t have to factor in any injuries, as both teams seem to be healthy for this game. It’s going to be a matter of if the switch of the series to Atlanta is going to energize the Hawks.
They need to come out with confidence and get off to a fast start, or the Celtics could dominate this game and bring the series to the brink of a sweep.
Boston Celtics vs. Atlanta Hawks Betting Preview
Spread: As you decide how to make your NBA picks today, it’s the Celtics who are favored to get the win, giving five points on a point-spread bet. Sportsbooks are giving -110 odds on either side of that wager.
Moneyline: If you’d prefer to bet on the moneyline, you can get Boston at -210 for a straight-up win, while Atlanta is listed at +175.
Over/Under: The over/under is set at 228.5 points, with -110 odds on both sides of that bet.
Boston Celtics vs. Atlanta Hawks Betting Prediction
This is one of those NBA matchups that isn’t going to be good for the Atlanta Hawks. They are facing a team with an offense just as potent as theirs, as well as a defense that can shut them down.
While Atlanta may put up a little more of a fight at home, your Celtics vs Hawks prediction should be for:
- Boston to come away with another easy victory.
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