Tip off: 8 PM EST
Spread: BOS -6.5
Total: 174
M/L: BOS -325, ATL +275
Betting Odds from Bookmaker
Celtics lead series 3-2
Though the Celtics lost game 5, they look to close out the Hawks here in game six, back in the TD Garden, and are favored by NBA oddsmakers to win the game by 6.5 points.
The difference for the Hawks was the return of Al Horford. The Hawks 6’10” All Star came back for 19 points and hit the final two Hawks shots, while also coming up with a key defensive play.
“We feel nothing but confident, we know it’s going to be a big challenge up there,” Horford said.
It will be a challenge. The Celtics received a balanced contribution and Ray Allen came off the bench to score 15 points in 29 mins, but the Hawks put all five starters in double figures, and no starter scored less than 13. They also shot 46.6% from the floor and 43.8% from three (7 of 16), but still must cut down on turnovers, as the Hawks coughed it up 18 times. They also need more from their bench (only 9 points in game 5).
As for the Celtics, they simply need Paul Pierce to be Paul Pierce. He has proven himself to be a big time performer and games like this are the ones in which players of Pierce’s caliber shine. He’s quickly becoming on of the top 5 Celtics legends of all time, but knows that a ring this year could even further solidify that legacy.
Pierce shot 7 of 17 from the floor in game 5, and finished with 16, but over his career against the Hawks he has averaged 22.5 points per game, and he’s also been excellent on one day’s rest this year, putting up 19.6 points per game in such situations. He needs to rediscover the magic he had in Game two, when he came up with 36 points and 14 rebounds, while hoisting 26 shots (amd hitting 12). The 16 points last game were his worst since his stinker in game one, when he shot 5 of 19 from the floor and finished with just 12 points. So which Pierce will show up tonight? The Pierce of Games one and five, or the Pierce that stole the show in game two? The Celts are dearly hoping the latter.
Hawks Betting Trends:
Atlanta is 37-32 ATS this year and 10-9 ATS when the total is between 170 and 179.5. They are 15-13 ATS as an underdog and 7-4 ATS when the total is between 170 and 179.5 on the road. They are 9-13 ATS vs Atlantic division opponents. The total has gone OVER in 36 of the 71 Hawks games this year, and it has gone UNDER in 11 of the 28 games in which Atlanta was the underdog. The total has gone OVER in 18 of the 28 playoff games for Atlanta over the last three seasons.
Celtics Betting Trends:
Boston is 37-34 ATS this year and 14-16 ATS when the total is between 170 and 179.5. They are 20-22 ATS as a favorite, and 16-6 ATS vs Southeast division opponents. They are 11-9 ATS vs teams with winning records in the second half of the year. The total has gone OVER In 31 of the Hawks 70 games this year, and it has gone OVER in 16 of the 29 games in which the total was between 170 and 179.5. It has gone OVER in 2 of the 5 games in this series, and it has gone UNDER in 11 of the 20 games when playing a winning team in the 2nd half of the season.
