Celtics vs Hawks Odds: Reigning Eastern Conference Champs Heavily Favored

The Atlanta Hawks pulled off the first surprise of the postseason, upsetting the Miami Heat 116-105 as a 5.5-point road underdog in Tuesday’s Eastern Conference No. 7 vs No. 8 play-in game. In doing so, the Hawks earned a first-round date with the No. 2 seed Boston Celtics.

The Celtics will begin their quest to return to the NBA Finals as an overwhelming favorite (-1000) to win the series, with the Hawks coming in at +700.

Game One is slated for Saturday at 3:30 p.m. (ESPN) in Boston. Let’s take a closer look at the Celtics vs Hawks odds.

Boston Celtics: It’s Title or Bust in Beantown

Prior to the start of training camp, head coach Ime Udoka was suspended for an improper relationship within the organization and replaced by assistant Joe Mazzulla. Unfazed by the controversy surrounding Udoka, the Celtics won 18 of their first 22 games and played at an elite level offensively.

Jayson Tatum (30.1) and Jaylen Brown (26.6) were a big part of that success, becoming the second pair of Celtics to score 25 points per game in the same season. Additionally, Tatum was the first Celtic to ever average at least 30 points, per NBA player stats.

The offseason acquisition of Malcolm Brogdon, a frontrunner for Sixth Man of the Year, bolstered one of the NBA’s deepest rotations. Boston finished the regular season ranked second in the Eastern Conference in scoring average (117.9) — trailing only Atlanta — and fourth in the NBA. The Celtics also ranked second in 3-pointers made per game (16.0) and sixth in 3-pointefficiency (37.7%).

The Boston Celtics finished 57-25 — one game behind the East-leading Milwaukee Bucks — including 32-9 at TD Garden. It’s their winningest season since 2008-09, when they went 62-20. It’s no wonder then that Boston boasts relatively strong postseason odds: +160 to win the conference and +325 to win the Finals. Only the Bucks, at +120 and +275, are ahead on the oddsboard.

Atlanta Hawks: From Play-In to Playoffs

In the victory over Miami, Trae Young paced Atlanta (41-41) with 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, while Dejounte Murray contributed 18 points and six dimes.

For Atlanta, it was a reminder of what could be. For a significant part of this season, the Hawks have been remarkably average. Consider this: from Jan. 21 to April 5, a span of 33 games, the Hawks managed to stay within one game of .500. Prior to this year, no other team in NBA history had done that for more than 25 straight games.

Sitting at 29-30 and eighth in the Eastern Conference, the Hawks fired head coach Nate McMillan in mid-February. Following a quick search, they replaced him with Quinn Snyder. His presence seemed to jumpstart the Hawks, who averaged 123.3 points per game after he took over on Feb. 28.

That’s second in the NBA to only the Bucks (123.4). Overall, Atlanta ranks third in the NBA in average scoring (118.4) and ninth in shooting efficiency (48.3).

Despite that offensive resurgence, Atlanta isn’t being given much of a chance to go on a deep run. The Hawks are an +8000 longshot to win the East. They’re currently share the fourth-longest title odds at +25000.

Handicapping The Series

Boston swept all three NBA regular-season meetings. As you might expect, the Celtics vs Hawks odds are heavily slanted in Boston’s favor. A majority of sportsbooks have them winning in either four (+225) or five games (+200) as the most likely outcomes.

Atlanta is potent enough offensively to steal a game if Boston runs into a cold-shooting night. But the Celtics are the better team on both ends of the floor, and they have the firepower to match with Tatum and Brown. Atlanta allowed 120 points or more in 41 of its 83 games this season, including all three matchups against Boston.

The Hawks were 22nd in defensive rating (second-worst among playoff teams) and allowed opponents to shoot 48.6%. Boston, meanwhile, was top-5 in both categories.

The 6-foot-10 Capela gave Miami fits, pulling down 21 rebounds, but Boston has enough frontcourt depth in Robert Williams III, Al Horford and Blake Griffin to hold its own on the glass. The Celtics led the NBA in defensive rebounding percentage (74.6) and were ninth overall (50.6).

Boston is a 9-point favorite in Game One, the largest of any series, and -400 on the moneyline. Atlanta, meanwhile, is listed +325. The over/under is 230.5, the second-highest total this weekend behind Sacramento-Golden State (238.5). Keep in mind, the Celtics had the fifth-best record against the spread this year at 45-36-1, while the Hawks were among the worst at 36-46.

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

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