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The Atlanta Hawks will pay a visit to the TD Garden to take on the Boston Celtics in a 2 PM ET tip-off. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our NBA odds series, which includes our Hawks-Celtics prediction, odds, and pick we have laid out below.
Atlanta is coming off a 136-121 defeat to the San Antonio Spurs on Friday. Bojan Bogdanovic led the way in scoring with 23 points, while Trae Young tallied a double-double with 18 points and 11 assists. The Hawks were unable to contain San Antonio's hot shooting, as the Spurs shot 18-of-32 from long distance. Meanwhile, Atlanta shot just 32.6 percent (14-of-43) from deep.
On the other hand, the Celtics continue on their torrid run as they extended their winning streak to seven games, which is now the longest active in the NBA. Their most recent win came against reigning MVP Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets. Jayson Tatum led Boston with 24 points while Robert Williams tallied 15 points and 16 boards to counter Jokic's 23-16-11 triple-double. Derrick White also.
Here is how FanDuel has set the Hawks–Celtics NBA odds for this Super Bowl Sunday NBA matchup.
NBA odds: Hawks–Celtics Odds
Atlanta Hawks: +7.5 (-108)
Boston Celtics: -7.5 (-112)
Over: 222 (-110)
Under: 222 (-110)
Why the Hawks could cover the spread
Despite having won the first two games of their season series with Boston, Atlanta enters this game as the underdogs. And for good reason. They haven't been consistent all season. Though they did go on a 7-game winning streak through the latter half of January, the Hawks have gone 2-4 since.
Led by Trae Young, the Hawks are an elite offensive team. They rank 3rd in offensive rating, 8th in points per game, and 3rd in 3-point percentage. However, as good as they are on offense, they've been just as bad on the defensive side of the floor. Atlanta gives up 111.9 points (24th), allows opponents to shoot 36.4 percent from the three (27th), and holds the 4th worse offensive rating across the Association. This is what we saw from them in that Spurs loss, where they allowed San Antonio to shoot 55.6 percent from the field and score 136 points on their heads.
Still, their offense at least gives them a chance, as any of their offensive weapons can erupt on any given day, particularly All-Star guard Trae Young. Ice Trae, however, is listed as probable due to right hip discomfort, while Delon Wright is also probable due to a left hip flexor. Meanwhile, the Hawks confirmed that John Collins will not suit up due to a right foot strain. Atlanta is reportedly shutting down Collins through the All-Star break.
At 26-29, the Hawks are still in the running for a play-in tournament spot, which gives them a chance to make the postseason. However, this isn't the ideal direction for Atlanta, considering they were in the Eastern Conference Finals just last season. Atlanta has just a 10-16 record on the road and is 15-17 against East teams. Their against the spread record is at 24-31, while their over/under is at 30-25.
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Why the Celtics could cover the spread
Boston has been as elite as they come over the last 10 games. Over this stretch where they have gone 9-1, the Celtics rank 1st in defensive rating by a mile and are a whopping +20.0 in net rating.
Jayson Tatum kickstarted this stretch with a masterful 51-point outing and has averaged 26.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists while shooting 50.0 percent from the field over these last 10 games. The Celtics have yet to beat the Hawks this season. But with the way they have been playing as of late, they should come away with a win on their home floor.
Boston also made a big trade deadline acquisition by trading for Derrick White Jr. from the San Antonio Spurs. White had a terrific debut for the Celtics in their 108-102 win over the Nuggets. The 27-year old tallied 15 points and six rebounds off the bench in 28 minutes.
White averaged 14.4 points and 5.6 assists in 49 games for the Spurs this season. Some Celtics, namely Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Marcus Smart, have familiarity with White, as they played with him on Team USA. Even Celtics coach Ime Udoka has experienced being with white, having served as an assistant for San Antonio.
The Celtics reported no injuries ahead of Sunday's matchup against Atlanta. Only Daniel Theis, whom the Celtics brought back in a trade from the Rockets, is questionable due to the pending trade.
Boston (32-25) moved to 7th in the East amid their hot streak and the Brooklyn Nets' brutal 11-game slide. They are 19-10 at home and 22-14 against the East. Against the spread, they are 28-27. Their over/under, however, is just at 23-34.
Final Hawks–Celtics Prediction & Pick
Although Atlanta has had Boston's number this season, the Celtics should still come away with the win. However, there is a good chance they won't be able to cover the 7.5-point spread. This is pretty much an offense versus defense matchup. Atlanta continues to be one of the top offenses in the NBA, while Boston's defense has been the best in the league by a mile over the last 10 games. The Celtics have been too hot not to get their streak going, but holding down an elite offense like Atlanta could be a tough task.
Final Hawks–Celtics Prediction & Pick: Hawks: +7.5 (-108)
