It is time to continue our NBA odds series with a Boston Celtics vs. Atlanta Hawks prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.
The Boston Celtics hope to avenge their Monday loss when the Atlanta Hawks made one of the biggest comebacks in decades to win 120-118. The Hawks trailed by 30 points before mounting their comeback, making it the largest in franchise history. Many questions are being asked about the Celtics, who have already clinched the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference with ten games remaining. It is time to continue our NBA odds series with a Celtics-Hawks prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.
The Celtics don’t have much to play for to close out the next two weeks, as they’ve already guaranteed homecourt advantage through the Eastern Conference playoffs. They had won nine consecutive games and looked to be on their way to a tenth on Monday when they took a 30-point lead on the Hawks. The Celtics had already won two games against the Hawks this season, but the Hawks erased the deficit that made fans wonder why the Celtics have blown a couple of leads this season.
The Hawks have won two games in a row, holding on to the tenth seed in the Eastern Conference. They are 5.5 games ahead of the Nets, which puts them in a great position to make the play-in tournament. The Celtics may not want to see that, as the Hawks have played them well this season, covering the last two games. This game will be the second night of a back-to-back, as the Hawks host Portland on Wednesday night.
Here are the NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Celtics-Hawks Odds
Boston Celtics: -13 (-110)
Moneyline: -800
Atlanta Hawks: +13 (-110)
Moneyline: +560
Over: 224.5 (-110)
Under: 224.5 (-110)
How to Watch Celtics vs. Hawks
Time: 7:30 PM ET/4:30 PM PT
TV: Bally Sports SE-ATL, NBC Sports Boston
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Celtics Could Cover The Spread/Win
Atlanta knows they must pile up wins, especially against the league’s weaker teams. Their matchup with Portland on Wednesday night is a must-win, as they are unlikely to beat Boston. Atlanta will use everything they have to win the first game of the back-to-back and won’t have much left for Boston on Thursday night.
Atlanta’s defense is performing better lately, but they still don’t have much to contend with the Celtics. The Celtics are the fifth-best scoring offense over the last five, averaging 122.4 points per game. The Hawks are just 19th, allowing 113.2.
Why The Hawks Could Cover The Spread/Win
The Celtics have the worst field goal-contesting team in the NBA over the last five games. They are allowing opponents to hit 51.4% from the field. This was an integral part of the Hawks beating them on Monday night with their eighth-ranked, 116.4 points per game offense over the same span.
Final Celtics-Hawks Prediction & Pick
The Celtics have only dominated the Hawks for one half this season when they got out to their big lead on Monday. The Hawks played the Celtics tough in two games in Boston this year, losing by ten in the first meeting and then covering the 11.5-point spread in the second game. The Hawks will have plenty of confidence going against the East’s best team after the meltdown on Monday night.
However, the Celtics have been sitting in their hotel rooms in Atlanta since Monday, listening to all the noise about the Hawks’ historic comeback. Atlanta will play a game on Wednesday night and then have to play the Celtics 24 hours later. The Celtics don’t have much to play for this season and will be looking for motivation after clinching the first seed. The Celtics will dominate this game and state that the 30-point choke is behind them.
Click here for more betting news and predictions
Final Celtics-Hawks Prediction & Pick: Celtics -13 (-110)
About the Author
Nathanial Duffett is a writer for ClutchPoints and a sports junkie at heart, especially for the Boston sports scene. In his spare time, he coaches hockey and is also a Hockey Scout at FCHockey and NeutralZone. Whether it’s covering the NHL, MLB, NBA, NFL, or College Football and Basketball, there is not a sport Nathanial isn’t able to discuss.
Source link