The Boston Celtics aim to put a stranglehold on a 2023 NBA playoff first-round series on Tuesday evening. Boston zoomed to a comfortable Game 1 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday, and Game 2 will be held in front of a raucous TD Garden crowd. The Celtics led by as many as 32 points in the opener, with Boston winning 57 games in the regular season. The Hawks earned the No. 7 seed despite a 41-41 record, and Atlanta seeks a pivotal road win.
The Celtics are listed as 10-point home favorites at Caesars Sportsbook, and tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. The total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, or the over/under, is 231.5 in the latest Hawks vs. Celtics odds. Before making any Celtics vs. Hawks picks, you need to see the NBA playoff predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's advanced computer simulation model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past four-plus seasons. The model enters the second week of the 2023 NBA playoffs a stunning 71-37 on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning nearly $3,000. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Hawks vs. Celtics and just locked in its picks and NBA playoff predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Now, here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Celtics vs. Hawks:
- Celtics vs. Hawks spread: Celtics -10
- Celtics vs. Hawks over/under: 231.5 points
- Celtics vs. Hawks money line: Celtics -600, Hawks +430
- ATL: The Hawks are 19-23-1 against the spread in road games
- BOS: The Celtics are 25-17 against the spread in home games
- Celtics vs. Hawks picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why the Hawks can cover
Atlanta's offense is potent, even after a disastrous start in the first half of Game 2. Once things stabilized, the Hawks were effective after halftime, and Atlanta scored 115.5 points per 100 possessions in the regular season. That was good for a top-eight mark in the NBA, and Atlanta zoomed to 120.1 points per 100 possessions after the All-Star break. The Hawks are fantastic in ball security, committing a turnover on only 12.6% of offensive possessions, and Atlanta shot almost 82% at the free throw line during the regular season.
Quin Snyder's team also posted top-10 figures in field goal percentage (48.3%), second-chance points (14.3 per game), and points in the paint (54.3 per game), with Atlanta crashing the offensive glass with effectiveness. The Hawks were No. 2 in the NBA in offensive rebound rate (32.5%) after the All-Star break and firmly above average (28.9%) for the full season. While Boston is fantastic on defense, the Celtics do have issues creating turnovers (12.7 per game), and the Hawks can play freely as a result. See which team to pick here.
Why the Celtics can cover
Boston is a two-way behemoth, as evidenced by its Game 1 performance. The Celtics led by as many as 32 points on Saturday, and the defensive performance was particularly impressive. Boston held Atlanta to 0.96 points per possession and 46.0% true shooting in the game, and the Celtics have tremendous defensive numbers for the full season. Boston led the NBA in defensive rebound rate (74.6%) during the regular season, and the Celtics finished in the top five in assists allowed, field goal percentage allowed, 3-point percentage allowed, and free throw attempts allowed.
The Celtics rounded out that defensive profile with top-10 marks in points allowed in the paint, blocked shots, and fast break points allowed. Boston yielded fewer than 1.11 points per possession in 2022-23, the second-best mark in the NBA, and the Celtics' switching scheme flummoxed Atlanta at times in Game 1. See which team to pick here.
How to make Hawks vs. Celtics picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Under on the total, with only four players projected to reach 15 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits over 50% of the time. You can only see the model's NBA playoff picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Celtics vs. Hawks? And which side of the spread hits in over 50% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model on a 71-37 roll on NBA picks, and find out.
