An Eastern Conference First Round Series is scheduled for Thursday night when the Boston Celtics visit the Atlanta Hawks in game six. There were not many people that would have expected there would be a game six, but the Hawks pulled off a massive game five upset and are now two wins away from advancing to the second round. Below is my NBA pick for the Celtics vs Hawks.
Boston Celtics vs Atlanta Hawks Betting Pick
The Pick: Boston Celtics -6.0 at BetOnline
This game will be played at State Farm Arena at 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 27, 2023.
Why Bet the Boston Celtics:
✅ Even with the game five loss, the Celtics have covered the spread in seven of their last nine games played.
✅ Against the Hawks, Boston has covered the spread in eight of their last 10 meetings.
✅ Atlanta has lost eight of their last 12 home games against the Boston Celtics.
Boston Celtics Surprised They are Here
Game five of this series saw the Celtics enter as -13-point favorites and suffer a shock 119-117 defeat. It looked like the Celtics had one foot in the second round, but the Hawks went off in the fourth quarter to get the win. Atlanta led by three after the first quarter, but the Celtics fought back and built an eight-point advantage at the half. That lead was pushed to double-digits heading into the fourth, but the Hawks won the fourth by 12 points and pushed the series back to Atlanta.
In the game five loss, Jaylen Brown went off for 35 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. Jayson Tatum added 19 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists on the night.
The Atlanta Hawks Have Their Swagger Back
Down two with under eight seconds left, Trae Young hit a 30-foot three pointer with 2.1 seconds left to secure the upset. This was one of those performances that makes Trae Young so confusing and the reason you would want him on your team. The guy is ice cold and never phased by the moment.
Young went off for 38 points, 13 assists, and four rebounds in the win. John Collins had his best game of the series and added 22 points on the night.
