A pair of Eastern Conference foes will square off in Atlanta tonight when the Hawks host the Boston Celtics at 7:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday. The game will be nationally broadcast on ESPN.
It is too early to care about the standings, but this matchup could end up having implications for the Eastern Conference race. The Celtics, who went to the NBA Finals last year, are back on top with an 11-3 overall record. The Hawks are third in the conference at 9-5.
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NBA Odds: Celtics-Hawks Odds
(Odds via FanDuel)
Spread: Celtics -3
Total: 235.5
Celtics Riding Win Streak
Since the calendar flipped to November, the Boston Celtics have lost just once, and that came via a 114-113 overtime final against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Nov. 2. Since then, the Celtics have won seven games in a row. They are coming off a 126-122 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder, and six of those seven straight wins have came by more than 3 points. Boston is 4-3 against the spread during this win streak and 7-7 against the spread on the year.
The Celtics’ offensive rating of 118.8 through 14 games would be the best clip in NBA history, thanks to a league-leading 46.8% clip from beyond the arc. Jayson Tatum is leading the way and is absolutely in the MVP conversation. He is averaging 31.9 points per game on 49.1% shooting.
Boston is certainly making a statement to start the season after falling short in last year’s NBA Finals.
Can Hawks Play Spoiler at Home?
The Celtics have only played three road games during their win streak, and Atlanta is the first stop on a three-game road trip. Boston’s win streak might very well end on this trip, but will the Hawks have the honors of accomplishing that feat?
Atlanta has a 5-2 record at home and certainly has the firepower to keep pace with Boston tonight. The Hawks rank 10th in the league in scoring, with an average of 115.6 points per game while playing with the sixth-fastest pace in the NBA.
Trae Young leads the team, averaging of 26.9 points and 9.3 assists per game. Dejounte Murray is adding 21.5 points per contest, and the Hawks have five different players averaging double figures.
Final Celtics-Hawks Prediction & Pick
Which streak will end? The Celtics have won seven in a row entering this matchup, but the home team has won the last six meetings between these two particular squads, dating back to Feb. 19, 2021. Something has to give tonight.
It is difficult to bet against Boston right now. This team is firing on all cylinders and making a statement in the process. Because BetMGM is offering a juiced 2.5-point spread, there is value in taking the Celtics to win by at least a possession in Atlanta.
Final Celtics-Hawks Pick: Boston -2.5 (-115) at BetMGM
