Celtics vs Hawks Odds: Line Shortens Ahead of Game 3 in Atlanta

Boston Jumps Milwaukee as Outright Favorite at +275

The first-round series between the No. 2 seed Boston Celtics and No. 7 seed Atlanta Hawks now shifts to State Farm Arena, with the defending Eastern Conference champions looking to grab a commanding 3-0 lead.

Boston is a five-point road favorite (the shortest line of the series) and -210 on the moneyline, while Atlanta is priced at +175. The over/under is 228.5, below the combined total from the first two games.

With that in mind, let’s look at the Celtics vs Hawks odds for Friday’s Game 3 (7 p.m. ET, ESPN).

Celtics logoBoston Celtics vs Atlanta HawksHawks logo

Day/Time: Location: State Farm Arena
Stream: ESPN

Young’s Shooting Struggles Continue

Most troubling for Atlanta — besides, of course, the 2-0 deficit — is the play of Trae Young. The two-time all-star has been mostly a non-factor. Young had 24 points in Game 2, albeit on 9-of-22 shooting with a game-high five turnovers. The Boston crowd jeered him with chants of “overrated”.

Young can expect a warmer welcome on Friday as the series moves to Atlanta for Game 3. That said, he needs to get going. Young has shot a dismal 23.1% from 3-point range this series and is just 10-for-57 from deep (17.5%) over his last eight playoff games.

The 6-foot-1 Young is struggling defensively too. Boston has outscored Atlanta by 32 points with Young on the floor, forcing head coach Quin Snyder to scale back his minutes. Derrick White has been the primary benefactor for Boston, averaging 25 points through two games.

Can Young rebound, and if so, will it even matter? Following Tuesday’s loss, Young vowed he’d “be better at home,” where he averaged 27.6 points on 42% shooting this season. Young was slightly more accurate on the road, for what it’s worth. Nevertheless, he could use a change of scenery at the moment.

Atlanta Facing Steep Climb

Expectations were low for the Atlanta Hawks in the postseason. At +700, they were the second-biggest underdog in the opening round behind Miami (+750), the East’s No. 8 seed. Now down 2-0, the Hawks’ odds have ballooned to +2100.

Historically, 57% of the teams in Atlanta’s situation have won Game 3 at home. Of course, that doesn’t mean the Hawks will. Boston has been on the shortlist of NBA title contenders all season and is now the betting favorite (+275), ahead of Milwaukee. With Giannis Antetokounmpo’s status in doubt (back), per the NBA injuries, the Bucks’ championship odds have moved from +275 to +335. Phoenix is currently third on the board at +500.

The Hawks — who, from Jan. 21 to April 5, a span of 33 games, stayed within one game of .500 — had three separate three-game losing streaks during the regular season. They were the definition of average, finishing 41-41 in the NBA standings. However, never did they drop four in a row.

At the moment, however, oddsmakers see a Boston sweep as the most likely outcome (+125).

Handicapping Game 3

Boston won each of the first two games by 13 points. Interestingly, that’s almost identical to the average margin of victory (13.3) in the teams’ three regular-season meetings.

Dejounte Murray has played well this series, averaging 26.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 3.5 steals, but without Young stepping up, the Hawks don’t stand much of a chance. Boston has the talent to match with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, in addition to a better-supporting cast. Again, look at what White has done (62.1% shooting) through two games.

The Hawks came into this series with the NBA’s 22nd-ranked defense (second-worst among playoff teams), allowing an average of 118.1 points. So far, that deficiency is showing. Boston shot a ridiculous 51.7% from the floor, including 42.4% on three-pointers, and never trailed in either second half.

While both teams ranked top three in rebounding, the Celtics have been plus-eight on the glass.

When assessing the Celtics vs Hawks odds, consider this: Boston has covered in the first two games and is 47-36-1 against the spread this season. The Celtics have won 71.6% of the time as the moneyline favorite. Atlanta, meanwhile, is 36-48 ATS.

 

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

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