Atlanta Hawks vs Boston Celtics betting tips and predictions for Thursday’s NBA Playoffs game on TNT. After an upset win in Game 5, the Hawks are looking to force a Game 7 as they host the Boston Celtics tonight at State Farm Arena. Read on for all our free predictions and betting tips.
Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta entered Game 5 as 13-point underdogs, playing without their 2nd best player Dejounte Murray who was suspended and yet they still defied all odds and came out with an improbable victory. Trae Young played a major part in the upset with 38 points and 13 assists, but also he made the game winning three-pointer down the stretch which sealed the deal.
To show just how big of an upset that was, Atlanta’s State Farm Arena booked a concert on the same day of Game 6 as they didn’t believe there would be a Game 6. With the concert now moved to the next day, the Hawks have a chance to force a Game 7 decider which would take place on Sunday. Murray returns from his suspension, but the Hawks are still 6.5 point underdogs in this one.
Boston Celtics
The Celtics led by as many as 13-points in that game on Tuesday and despite a big night from Jaylen Brown they fell for the 2nd time in the series. Jayson Tatum has a horrible night shooting the ball going 8-for-21 from the field and scoring on just 1 of 10 three-point attempts. I wouldn’t necessarily blame him for the loss, the Celtics as a unit failed on so many different levels and now the pressure is on them to seal the deal.
They are still 8-2 ATS/SU in the last 10 meetings, plus on the road in Atlanta they’ve won 8 games in their last 12 visits. ESPN’s Analytics are giving the Celtics a 75% chance to get the job done tonight, they’ll also be extra motivated after the New York Knicks showed it’s possible to close out on the road after their win in Cleveland last night.
Currently we have 3 series with the score at 3-2 and at least one of them will go to a Game 7, it just has to. I think this is the one with the most potential to do so, the Hawks were 24-17 SU at home during the regular season and have gone 2-1 in the play-in and postseason so far. I’ll back the Hawks to cover the spread here.
Atlanta Hawks vs Boston Celtics Predictions & Odds
The last 3 games have been really fun to watch between these two teams, especially for the neutrals as the over has cashed in all 3 of those games. The two teams are averaging well over 240 points combined in those games, and over 60 points each in the first half. Boston is shooting over 51%, while the Hawks are close to 49% from the field.
The defenses are basically non existent and with tonight’s game taking place at State Farm Arena those trends should continue. Atlanta has gone over in 5 straight home games and in 24 of 43 during the regular season. Boston is also on a run of 7 overs in 8 road games, until I see those trend end I’m just going to keep riding the over in this series. Take the points.
