Celtics vs Hawks Betting Preview: Atlanta Aiming to Even First-Round Series in Game 4

Hawks, 6-Point Underdogs, Trying to Climb Out of 2-0 Series Hole

After responding with a 130-122 victory in Game 3, the No. 7 seed Atlanta Hawks now have a chance to even their series Eastern Conference first-round series with the No. 2 seed Boston Celtics. Game 4 at State Farm Arena is slated for Sunday at 7 p.m. ET on TNT.

Leading 2-1, Boston is a 6-point road favorite and -235 on the moneyline. Atlanta, meanwhile, is priced at +195. The over/under is set at 232.

Let’s take a closer look at the odds in our Celtics vs Hawks betting preview.

Young, Hawks Offense Back on Track

After struggling in the first two games of the series, Hawks guard Trae Young vowed he’d be better moving forward. While the two-time All-Star wasn’t quite an unstoppable force in Game 3, he was more of a presence. Young scored a game-high 32 points and dished out nine assists, helping the Hawks — a 5.5-point underdog — get back in the series.

He was particularly clutch down the stretch. Young knocked down a step-back 3-pointer with 2:22 left and hit another big basket on a floater in the lane with 45.1 seconds remaining after Jayson Tatum missed a 3 that would’ve tied it.

It was easily the most efficient performance of the series for Young, who connected on 12-of-22 from the floor and 6-of-6 from the foul line. He had shot just 14-of-40 in Boston.Young got plenty of help, too, as DeJounte Murray contributed 25 points and Bogdan Bogdanović scored 15.

Atlanta came into the series sporting the NBA’s third-best offense, scoring 118.4 points per game. Game 3 was the closest thing to that. The Hawks shot 56% from the field and connected on 15 3-pointers. The 130 points were the most allowed by Boston since a 130-111 loss to Washington on March 28.

Despite all that, the Hawks barely scraped by. They’ll need another big performance by Young — and then some — to have a chance at evening the series.

Atlanta Still Facing Long Odds

The odds continue to be stacked against Atlanta despite its Game 3 win. Consider this fact in our Celtics vs Hawks betting preview: Atlanta is 0-26 is playoff series when losing the first two games. Yes, you read that correctly. The Hawks have never come back to win a series after falling behind 2-0.

Now, Atlanta was a longshot to begin with. At +700, the Hawks were the second-biggest underdog in the first round behind No. 8 seed Miami (+750). Those odds are now sitting at +1000 after plummeting to +2100 following Game 2.

Meanwhile, Boston now owns the second-best NBA betting odds at +290. Milwaukee has overtaken the Celtics as the NBA title favorite at +270. Phoenix remains third on the board at +425, ahead of Denver (+850). The Bucks (+135) and Celtics (+140) still have strikingly similar odds to win the East.

Handicapping Game 3

While the 6-point spread is nearly identical to that of Game 3, the projected total has climbed from 228.5 to 232. The teams blew past both totals, combining for 252 points.

The Hawks and Celtics ranked third and fourth, respectively, in scoring during the regular season. While Boston rated much higher than its opponent on the defensive end, Atlanta negated that difference in Friday’s victory by shooting 7.7% higher than its season average.

Atlanta also had its best rebounding effort of the series with a 48-29 edge on the boards. Clint Capela led all players with 11 rebounds. The Hawks will need a similar effort in Game 4.

Notably, Boston is 2-1 against the spread this series and 47-37-1 ATS overall. The Celtics, who have been at or near the top of the NBA standings all season, are 53-21 as the moneyline favorite. The Hawks, meanwhile, are just 37-48 ATS, though they obviously covered in Game 3.

For a Celtics vs Hawks betting preview, NBA odds, analysis and more, visit pointspreads.com.


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