Celtics vs. Hawks Prediction & Odds
The second-seeded Boston Celtics head to Atlanta to take on the #7-seed Hawks on TNT Thursday night at 8:30 PM ET in Game 6 of the first round of the NBA Playoffs.
Can the Celtics cover the 6.5-point spread as road favorites?
Boston leads the series 3-2.
The Boston Celtics went 57-25 in the regular season. They are 3-2 in the playoffs this season. The Celtics are 49-38 ATS on the year.
The Atlanta Hawks went 41-41 in the regular season. They’re 3-3 in the playoffs and play-in this year. The Hawks are 39-48-1 ATS on the season.
Game Matchup & Betting Odds
537 Boston Celtics (-6.5) at 538 Atlanta Hawks (+6.5); O/U 232
8:30 PM ET, Thursday, April 27, 2023
State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA
Celtics vs. Hawks Public Betting Information
Our NBA Public Betting Information page indicates that 81% of public bettors are currently backing the Celtics -6.5 in this contest. Note that these numbers are subject to change, so be sure to check the link to receive the most up-to-date public betting data.
Boston Celtics DFS Spin
Boston point guard Derrick White has been the team’s third-best player for a while now. In 5 postseason games, White is putting up 19.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.4 blocks, and 3 made three-pointers per game. He’s worth a look in most DFS formats.
For efficient scoring and defense at the center position, look no further than Boston’s Robert Williams III. Williams is averaging 9.4 points, 8 rebounds, and 1 block per game thus far in the postseason. He’s shooting a near-perfect 87.5% from the field in the playoffs, and that number makes him worthy of consideration in DFS on Thursday.
Atlanta Hawks DFS Spin
Hawks shooting guard Dejounte Murray was suspended for Game 5 in Boston after he made contact with an official following Atlanta’s Game 4 home loss. Murray should be back in action on Thursday, and you can safely deploy him in DFS as he’s posting 25.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 2.3 steals, and 3.3 made three-pointers per game in the playoffs thus far.
Atlanta power forward John Collins is coming off his best performance of the postseason on Tuesday. In Atlanta’s 119-117 road win over Boston, Collins poured in 22 points while shooting 50% from the field and 44.4% from deep in that contest. Collins should have a plethora of open shots on Thursday as Boston gears their defense around containing Trae Young and Dejounte Murray.
Celtics vs. Hawks NBA Betting Trends
Boston is 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games against a team with a losing straight-up record.
Boston is 17-19 ATS as a road favorite this season.
Atlanta is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 Thursday games.
The over is 5-0-1 ATS in Atlanta’s last 6 games playing on 1 day of rest.
Celtics vs. Hawks NBA Prediction
Atlanta showed a lot of grit and determination in their Game 5 win in Boston on Tuesday. The Hawks were trailing by 13 points with 6 minutes left in the game and wound up winning 119-117 without their second-best player Dejounte Murray. Trae Young was phenomenal in that game as he poured in 38 points, dished out 13 assists, and hit the game-winning three-pointer from about 30 feet away with 1.8 seconds left. Atlanta could have easily folded at the end of that game, but they didn’t.
Boston looked a bit lost down the stretch in Game 5 and the Celtics’ best player Jayson Tatum only shot 8 of 21 from the field and 1 of 10 from three in the team’s home loss. I think Boston will ultimately be fine both in this series and beyond, but I like Atlanta’s chances to cover the number at home in a must-win game. I’ll take the Hawks and the points in Game 6 on Thursday.
NBA BETTING PREDICTION: ATLANTA HAWKS +6.5
