Week 18 of the 2021-22 NBA season tips off Monday, February 13, with the Eastern Conference showdown from TD Garden in Boston, so we bring you the best Hawks vs. Celtics betting pick along with the latest team stats, news, and odds update.

Atlanta squares off against Boston for the third time this season. The Hawks are road dogs on MyBookie Sportsbook, aiming for their fourth consecutive victory over the Celtics.

The Hawks lost four of their last six 

The Atlanta Hawks wrapped up their seven-game SU and ATS winning streak on the last day of January. Since then, the Hawks have gone 2-3 SU and ATS, losing a couple of road games in that span. They fell to 26-29 straight up and 24-31 ATS on the season following a heavy 136-121 defeat to the San Antonio Spurs last Friday.

The Hawks have been struggling defensively all season. They are tied with the Portland Trail Blazers for the third-worst defensive rating in the NBA (114.5 points allowed per 100 possessions). Furthermore, the Hawks’ defense ranks 25th in the league in field goal percentage (46.7%) and 26th in 3-point percentage (36.4%).

Atlanta allowed San Antonio to make 55.6% of its field goals and 56.3% of its treys. On the other side of the ball, the Hawks made 45.6% of their field goals and went only 14-for-43 from downtown (32.6%). John Collins suffered a heel injury, finishing with four points in 21 minutes, and he could easily miss the Celtics game.

The Celtics won seven in a row 

The Boston Celtics (32-25; 27-29-1 ATS) are rolling on a seven-game winning streak following a 108-102 home victory to the Denver Nuggets last Friday. They overcame an 11-point deficit, limiting the Nuggets to only 42 second-half points.

The Celtics struggled mightily to score against the Nuggets, but their defense made the difference. Boston shot only 39.6% from the field and 27.0% from beyond the arc. Marcus Smart posted a monster line of 22 points, seven assists, five rebounds, and five steals, while Robert Williams accounted for 15 points, 16 boards, and three blocks.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for one 3-pointer on 14 attempts, while Derrick White had 15 points and six rebounds on his debut. The Celtics rank 19th in the league in offensive efficiency (110.5 points per 100 possessions), but they also boast the second-best defensive rating in the NBA (105.8).  

Trends:

Atlanta:

  • 1-5 ATS in the last six games on the road

Boston:

  • 4-1 ATS in the last five games played on Sunday  

Atlanta Hawks vs. Boston Celtics Pick

The Hawks have easily won their first two games against the Celtics in 2021-22. Back in November, they grabbed a 110-99 victory as 5-point home favorites, while ten days ago, the Hawks beat Boston 108-92 as small 1.5-point favorites.

I’m expecting the Celtics to get revenge in this one. They’ve been outstanding lately, especially on the defensive end. The Hawks own the second-highest offensive rating in the NBA (114.7), while the Celtics have allowed only 95.8 points per 100 possessions over their last seven outings.

Pick: Take Boston Celtics          

The Total:

The first two meetings of the season between Atlanta and Boston have gone under the total. We should see another low-scoring affair Sunday at TD Garden, though you never know with this Atlanta team. Five of the Hawks’ last seven games have produced at least 239 points in total.

On the other side, the under is 8-2 in Boston’s last ten contests. The Celtics have yielded more than 97 points just twice over their previous seven games overall.

Pick: Go under