The No. 2 seed Celtics will look to place the No. 7 seed Hawks getting ready to elimination at 7 p.m. ET in Recreation 3 of the primary spherical of the 2023 NBA playoffs. The collection switches to Atlanta for the following two video games after the Celtics took care of enterprise at house in Video games 1 and a couple of.
The Hawks have been higher offensively in Recreation 2, but it surely wasn’t sufficient, because the Celtics received 119-106. Dejounte Murray led Atlanta in scoring, dropping 29 factors on 11-of-24 taking pictures from the sphere and 7-of-13 taking pictures from three-point vary. Murray additionally added six rebounds, six assists, and 4 steals. In the meantime, Trae Younger recorded 24 factors (9-22 FG, 2-8 3pt), six assists, three rebounds, and two steals. The Hawks additionally received a stable efficiency from De’Andre Hunter, who had 18 factors and 12 rebounds, outplaying each John Collins (5 factors and 6 rebounds) and Clint Capela (4 factors and 7 rebounds).
As for the Celtics, it was enterprise as standard, as that they had 4 starters in double figures. Jayson Tatum led the best way with 29 factors (12-22 FG, 5-9 3pt), 10 rebounds, and 6 assists. Derrick White was the standout star for Boston, scoring 26 factors on an environment friendly 11-of-16 taking pictures from the sphere and 2-of-5 from past the arc. He additionally had a few assists and grabbed seven rebounds. The Celtics’ offense was clicking on all cylinders, taking pictures 55.8 % from the sphere and flattening well timed threes.
Can the Hawks push this collection to a fifth recreation, or will the Celtics handle enterprise on the highway tonight? Under, we’ll break down tonight’s Celtics-Hawks matchup, giving our prediction and greatest bets for the 2023 NBA Playoffs.
MORE ODDS: Spreads, moneylines, props, parlays — get all of it with BetMGM!
Celtics vs. Hawks odds, picks, predictions
Odds courtesy of BetMGM
Unfold: Celtics -5.5 (-105); Hawks +5.5 (-110)
Over/Underneath: OVER 228.5 (-110); UNDER 228.5 (-110)
Moneyline: Celtics -210; Hawks +170
The Celtics have been double-digit favorites in Video games 1 and a couple of however are 5.5-point favorites for tonight’s Recreation 3. Nonetheless, that ought to not ring any alarm bells for bettors, as Boston was 25-16 on the highway in the course of the highway.
The Celtics are receiving 95 % of the bets (93 % of the deal with) on the unfold after it opened up at -4.5. Boston can be receiving 82 % of the bets (87 % of the deal with) on the moneyline, which isn’t surprising primarily based on the primary two video games. Boston is 20-19-2 in opposition to the unfold on the highway and 14-18-2 as a highway favourite this season.
Regardless of these ATS numbers, it is onerous to not just like the Celtics, who’ve the perimeter defenders to match up with Younger and Murray and may shoot lights out from past the arc, which they did in Recreation 2 (15-of-33, 45.5 %). If the Hawks enable the Celtics to step into threes and are not quick sufficient on rotations, it might be a protracted evening.
Now we have to place some respect on Atlanta’s identify when it is at house, as proven by its 24-17 regular-season house document. Nonetheless, that success hasn’t translated nicely to the unfold, as Atlanta is simply 18-22-1 ATS at house and 4-4 ATS as a house underdog. It is doable that the Hawks might maintain tonight’s recreation shut, however it is going to require good outings from Murray/Younger and somebody within the frontcourt to step up. In Recreation 2, Hunter had a double-double, however Capela and Collins have to play higher. They cannot get outscored by Robert Williams and Al Horford, who had 16 mixed factors and 9 rebounds in Recreation 2.
The Hawks will get off to begin in entrance of their house court docket, however the Celtics finally put on them down and take Recreation 3.
Prediction: Celtics 112, Hawks 106. The Celtics (-5.5) cowl the unfold, with the sport going UNDER the entire (228.5)
Greatest participant prop wager for Celtics vs. Hawks: Bogdan Bogdanovic OVER 2.5 three-pointers made (+110)
The Hawks want Bogdanovic to be locked in tonight and able to shoot when his quantity is named. The veteran guard is coming off a stable bounce-back efficiency in Recreation 2 the place he scored 18 factors on seven-of-11 taking pictures from the sphere and four-of-seven from three. In Recreation 1, Bogdanovic struggled like the remainder of Atlanta’s offense, scoring 9 factors on three-of-10 taking pictures from the sphere and two-of-seven from past the arc.
Bogdanovic has gone over 2.5 threes in 4 out of his previous 10 video games (together with the common season), and it doesn’t assist that the Celtics enable the second-fewest three-pointers made by SGs (2.62) this season. However we are going to financial institution on Bogdanovic to get a lift at house, the place he shot 39.6 % from past the arc this season on 6.7 makes an attempt per recreation.