The Boston Celtics face the Atlanta Hawks in a battle between Eastern Conference playoff hopefuls on Tuesday. The Celtics host the festivities at TD Garden, and Boston is 20-11 in home games this season. The Celtics are 36-27 overall this season, with Atlanta entering at 29-31 overall and 11-18 on the road. John Collins (foot) is doubtful for the Hawks, with Lou Williams (hip) ruled out. The Celtics report no injuries for Tuesday’s game.
Boston is favored by 6.5 points at home for this 7:30 p.m. ET tipoff. The total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, or the over-under, is 227 in the latest Celtics vs. Hawks odds from Caesars Sportsbook. Before making any Hawks vs. Celtics picks, you need to see the NBA 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 three-plus seasons. The model enters Week 19 of the 2021-22 NBA season on a stunning 71-44 roll on all top-rated NBA picks, returning over $2,100. 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 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 -6.5
- Celtics vs. Hawks over-under: 227 points
- Celtics vs. Hawks money line: Celtics -270, Hawks +220
- ATL: The Hawks are 18-19 against the spread in Eastern Conference games
- BOS: The Celtics are 20-21-1 against the spread in Eastern Conference games
Featured Game | Boston Celtics vs. Atlanta Hawks
Why the Hawks can cover
Atlanta’s offense is elite by any description. The Hawks are scoring 114.0 points per 100 possessions for the season, ranking No. 2 in the NBA. Atlanta leads the league in 3-point accuracy at 37.7 percent, and the Hawks are also setting the pace in the NBA by committing only 12.3 turnovers per game. The Hawks are in the top six in field-goal percentage (46.8 percent) and free-throw percentage (80.4 percent), and generate 1.98 assists for every turnover, a top-five ratio.
The Hawks are above-average in free-throw creation and assists (24.4 per game), and also have a couple of notable defensive strengths. Atlanta is in the top five of the NBA in free-throw attempts allowed, giving up only 19.5 per game, and are also in the top five of the league in defensive rebound rate (73.8 percent) and second-chance points allowed (12.2 per game).
Why the Celtics can cover
Boston is phenomenal on defense this season, ranking No. 2 in the NBA in points allowed per possession (1.05). The Celtics are No. 1 in the league since Jan. 1, giving up fewer than 1.04 points per possession, and Boston leads the NBA in myriad categories. The Celtics sit atop the league in field-goal percentage allowed (43.0 percent), 2-point percentage allowed (49.0 percent) and assists allowed (21.6 per game).
Boston is No. 2 in the league in blocked shots, averaging 6.0 per game, and the Celtics are allowing only 42.0 points in the paint per game to opponents. Boston is in the top 10 of the league in free-throw attempts allowed, giving up 20.6 per game, and opponents average only 11.3 fast-break points per game against the Celtics. The Celtics also force 14.0 turnovers per game, and Boston should benefit from a struggling Hawks defense that ranks in the bottom five of the NBA in allowing 1.13 points per possession.
How to make Hawks vs. Celtics picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning under on the total, projecting that the teams combine for 224 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations.You can only see the model’s Celtics vs. Hawks pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Hawks vs. Celtics? And which side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the Hawks vs. Celtics spread you need to jump on Tuesday, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks, and find out.