2023 NBA Playoffs: Hawks vs. Celtics Series Odds, Picks & Predictions
The Atlanta Hawks defeated the Miami Heat in the NBA Play-In Tournament, setting up a 2 vs. 7 matchup against the Boston Celtics. The best of seven series will start on Saturday, April 15th at 3:30 PM.
Best Bets for Hawks vs. Celtics
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
Celtics Overview/Playoff Outlook
Throughout the first half of the season, the Celtics looked like the team to beat in the East. On March 1st, they were 45-18, but they went just 12-7 down the stretch to lose the No. 1 seed to the Milwaukee Bucks. This is familiar territory for the defending Eastern Conference champions. Last season, they were the No. 2 seed when they knocked off the top-seeded Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Hawks Overview/Playoff Outlook
After losing to the Charlotte Hornets on January 21st, the Hawks dropped to 24-23. They then played the next 10 weeks within one game of .500, until finally moving to 41-39 on April 5th. The Hawks have only put together three win streaks of three or more games this season, with their longest stretch being five in a row. Winning the Playin-In game over the Heat was likely the peak of this team's season.
Season Series
The Celtics won every game during the regular season series. They won 126-101 on November 16th, 134-125 on March 11th, and 120-114 on April 9th. Two of the Celtics' wins came in Atlanta, while the final win came on the last day of the season when the Celtics were without all of their starters.
Series Prediction
The Hawks have no chance in this series. They do not have the firepower or experience to match a Celtics' team that could very well return to the NBA Finals this season. The real question is: How many games will the Hawks win in this series? Will they be able to steal one at home, or will the Celtics sweep them and get some early rest for what should be an epic series against the Philadelphia 76ers?
The Hawks did defeat the top-seeded Heat once in their series last season, but this Celtics team is better than the Heat were a year ago. Take the Celtics to win either 4-0 or 4-1.
Best Bets
Boston Celtics -2.5 games (-165) – It costs a bit, but this is the closest thing to a lock in this series. There are very few scenarios where the Hawks win more than one game, but sweeps have become increasingly rare in the NBA playoffs, no matter how uneven the teams may seem on paper.
Boston Celtics 4-0 (+230) – With the Celtics -2.5 already in hand, take the Celtics to sweep the Hawks for a really good value play. Trae Young will need to have an insane game in order for his team to win once, and even if he does play out of his mind, the Celtics still may sweep.
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Phil Wood is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Phil, check out his archive and follow him @Phil_Wood_Jr.