The Atlanta Hawks will face the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on Tuesday, when Jayson Tatum & Co. will be hoping to bounce back from a 21-point loss against the Indiana Pacers. Meanwhile, the Hawks have won three of their last four and have to be feeling good about the way they’re playing.
Will Atlanta stay hot with a big road win over Boston? Check out our Hawks vs. Celtics NBA picks and predictions for March 1 to find out your best betting angles.
Hawks vs Celtics odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
The Celtics opened as 4.5-point favorites against the Hawks in this exciting Eastern Conference showdown, but Atlanta is now getting as many as 6 in this one. The total, which opened at 224.5, has mostly stayed the same but has gone up on some books.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right until tip-off and be sure to check out the full NBA odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.
Hawks vs Celtics predictions
Predictions made on 3/1/2022 at 12:15 a.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
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Hawks vs Celtics game info
• Location: TD Garden, Boston, MA
• Date: Tuesday, March 1, 2022
• Tip-off: 7:30 p.m. ET
• TV: TNT
Hawks vs Celtics betting preview
Key injuries
Hawks: Lou Williams G (Out), John Collins F (Out).
Celtics: No injuries to report.
Find our latest NBA injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Over is 5-2 in Atlanta’s last seven games. Find more NBA betting trends for Hawks vs. Celtics.
Hawks vs Celtics picks and predictions
Our predictions are compiled from the analysis of the spread and total and are indications of where we are leaning for this game.
Our best bet is the play that we like the most for this game, which we would actually put some of our bankroll behind.
Spread analysis
The Hawks have won and covered in two of their three meetings with the Celtics this year, and they’re getting a lot of points in tonight’s game between these two teams that aren’t separated by all that much. While Boston is second in the league in defensive rating this season, Atlanta is second in offensive rating. Having an elite defense can get you a long way in this league, but a great offense tends to beat a great defense. With that in mind, you shouldn’t be surprised if this game is extremely close down the stretch.
For as good as the Celtics are defensively, the team allowed the Pacers to go 17 for 33 from behind the three-point line on Sunday. That’s just unacceptable perimeter defense, and the Hawks have the shooters to similarly make them pay. If Boston isn’t out contesting shots, guys like Kevin Huerter and Bogdan Bogdanovic will have huge games for Atlanta. Even De’Andre Hunter and Danilo Gallinari are capable of getting in on the action, which is dangerous considering we know what to expect from Trae Young.
Young had 41 points and 11 assists in a win over the Toronto Raptors last game, and he had 30 points and 10 assists the last time the Hawks faced the Celtics. Even with excellent defenders like Marcus Smart and Derrick White taking turns covering him, Young will find ways to score and set his teammates up. That’s why it’s easy to buy into Atlanta hanging around in this game.
It also helps that the Hawks have guys like Hunter and Clint Capela in the lineup to be presences on the defensive end. Atlanta needs to show up in a big way on that end of the floor here, but the team should be able to do just that. The Hawks are actually seventh in the league in defensive rating over the last four games, so we could see a better version of this team on the defensive end the rest of the season. At the very least, Atlanta knows it has to be ready to key in on Tatum and Jaylen Brown here.
Prediction: Hawks +6 (-110)
Over/Under analysis
Despite the last three games between these teams going Under the total, the number in this one is set higher than each of those contests. That makes the Under seem like a bit of a trap here, and that makes the Over the more enticing play when looking at the total. The Over has actually hit in each of the last five games that the Celtics have played, and it’s also 3-1 in the last four games that the Hawks have played.
With Boston having gotten shredded by Indiana last game, it isn’t hard to see how Atlanta might be able to successfully attack this defense. Meanwhile, the Hawks are going to have their own struggles when trying to slow down a talented Celtics team. With that in mind, this game has some sneaky shootout potential.
The Over also happens to be 14-4 when Boston is coming off a road loss by 10 or more points over the last three seasons.
Prediction: Over 225 (-110)
Best bet
Young comes into this game after having racked up at least nine assists in eight of his last nine games. The Hawks star has been seeing the floor extremely well and his teammates have been coming through for him on the looks he’s created. Now, Young gets to face a Celtics team that he had 10 assists against back on February 13. Being that he needs only nine in order to hit the Over on his assist prop, it’s hard to turn this play down.
Even with the Celtics improving their point-of-attack defense at the deadline, Young is going to have his opportunities to make plays. Also, if Boston is overaggressive in trying to stop him, that just makes it easier on Young to get the ball out of his hands and to one of his teammates with space to score.
The value is too good to pass up here.
Pick: Trae Young Over 8.5 assists (-135)
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