Celtics The Clear Pick Over Hawks on Wednesday

Quinn Allen
By , Updated on: Dec 19, 2023 07:00 PM
Celtics The Clear Pick Over Hawks on Wednesday
  • What: Boston Celtics vs Atlanta Hawks
  • Date: Wednesday, November 16th
  • Location: State Farm Arena
  • Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
  • How to Watch: ESPN

The surging Boston Celtics will take their seven-game winning streak down to Georgia on Wednesday for an Eastern Conference clash with the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena. The tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 PM ET. Boston currently sits in first in the East with an 11-3 record and boasts the top offensive rating in the league. They won a tightly-contested affair on Monday against the Oklahoma City Thunder behind a big night from the entire first unit. The Hawks are also coming off a statement victory, beating the Milwaukee Bucks by 15 points. That improved them to 9-5 on the season. Find the Celtics vs Hawks picks below.

Before we get into the odds, preview, and prediction, take a look at our tips for betting on NBA games and how to bet on NBA futures.

Celtics vs Hawks Odds

BetOnlineSpreadMoneylineTotal
Boston Celtics-2 (-110)TBDOv 233 (-110)
Atlanta Hawks+2 (-110)TBDUn 233 (-110)

Boston heads in as a 2-point favorite for this road contest. But, they're just 7-7 ATS so far. The Hawks are 4-3 ATS at home in 2022-23. In four contests last season, both teams won two games apiece.

Boston Betting Outlook

The C's aren't exactly hurting after head coach Ime Udoka was suspended for the year. Many believed his absence would make a big difference given his impact in 2021-22, but Boston is thriving with Joe Mazzulla at the helm. They're top dog in the Association with a mind-boggling 120 points per night and rank top-five in field goal and three-point percentage. Jayson Tatum is truly playing at an MVP level, averaging 31.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 3.9 assists while shooting 36.8% from downtown. While Tatum is leading the charge, he's also got the perfect co-star in Jaylen Brown. The guard is dropping 25.4 points per contest as well to complement his teammate perfectly.

That was pretty much the story on Monday against a gritty Thunder squad. Tatum erupted for 27 and Brown poured in 26. Marcus Smart, who has been relatively quiet offensively, put up 22 points, too. His contributions were absolutely clutch, scoring 20 in the second half alone. The Celtics didn't necessarily shoot the ball all that well here but instead, thrived in transition and capitalized off some sloppy basketball from OKC. Boston outscored them 37-26 in the fourth quarter to pull away.

Atlanta Betting Outlook

The Hawks are off to a respectable start, with the star duo of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray making their presence felt in the backcourt. Trae is averaging 26.9 points, 9.3 assists, and 3.2 rebounds. Murray meanwhile, has posted numbers of 21.5 points, 7.8 dimes, and 6.4 boards. Atlanta is 13th in offensive rating and have the sixth-best defense in the NBA. They're scoring over 115 points per night but a lot of that damage is coming inside, shooting a dismal 33% from deep. The Hawks are first with just 12.4 turnovers. They do a tremendous job of taking care of the basketball and we saw just that on Monday against the Bucks.

Nate McMillan's group committed just nine of them in this game and did a fine job of slowing down Giannis Antetokounmpo. Although The Greek Freak collected 27 points, he was just 8 for 21 from the field and 11 for 18 from the charity stripe. Offensively, the entire first unit finished in double-figures in a tremendous team victory. De'Andre Hunter erupted for a team-high 24, while Young contributed 21. With Milwaukee shorthanded, the Hawks' all-around contributions proved to be too much. A win over the Bucks is always a confidence booster and should have Atlanta feeling good for Wednesday. Plus, they're 5-2 at State Farm Arena.

Celtics vs Hawks Picks

It's frankly hard to bet against the Celtics right now, at home or on the road. Currently unbeaten in seven, Boston will make it eight. Take them to cover, with Tatum once again playing a huge part in the outcome.

Boston Celtics To cover vs Atlanta Hawks
-2 (-110)
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Meet the author

Quinn Allen

Quinn Allen leverages his broadcast journalism degree and passion for sports in his betting previews and analysis. Based in Kelowna, Canada, he has emerged as an expert voice with picks featured on OSB, MTS, SBD, and as a ClutchPoints editor. With a lifelong fandom of...

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