The Boston Celtics will try to get their offense rolling on Tuesday night as they play on the road against the Atlanta Hawks in the second game of their first-round NBA playoff matchup.
The Hawks held the Celtics to just 74 points in their 83-74 win in Game 1 of the set on Sunday night, producing an easy UNDER result for totals bettors. Josh Smith led Atlanta with 22 points.
Boston plays without star PG Rajon Rondo who was suspended for bumping a ref in Game 1.
This season the Hawks are 40-26 overall and 36-27-3 ATS against the number, while the Celtics are 39-27 and 34-31-1 ATS. As for the totals, Atlanta is 33-31-2 on the OU, and Boston is 29-37.
View Boston vs Atlanta Odds and Stats.
Betting Line:
Bettors looking to side with the Hawks in this one will find them as 3.5-point favorites at Sportsbook, while the total was sitting at 175.
Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Hawks sit at No. 10 in the current NBA Power Rankings here at Odds Shark, while the Celtics are at No. 18 on that chart. Math models have concluded that the Hawks will win this game 96-95.
How They Match Up:
The game also pits Atlanta's No. 17-ranked offense, averaging 96.6 PPG, against a Celtics defense that ranks No. 2 at 89.3 PPG. The Hawks field goal percentage has averaged 45.4% so far, less than the Celtics shooters have achieved on the year, 46% per game.
In comparing how the teams stack up statistically, the Celtics own the league's No. 6-rated mark, allowing 94.3 points per game when on the road. Atlanta, on the other hand, rates No. 14 in home scoring.
Boston lost its last outing, an 83-74 result against the Hawks on April 29. The Celtics failed to cover in that game as a 1-point underdog, while the 157 combined points took the game UNDER the total. Kevin Garnett scored 20 points and added 12 rebounds for a double-double, but his team still lost 83-74 against Atlanta in NBA action at Philips Arena.
Boston Celtics Trends:
When playing on Tuesday are 7-3
Before playing Atlanta are 7-3
After playing Atlanta are 7-3
After a loss are 8-2
Atlanta Hawks Trends:
When playing on Tuesday are 4-6
Before playing Boston are 6-4
After playing Boston are 5-5
After a win are 6-4
A few Celtics at Hawks trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Boston is 14-6 SU in its last 20 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Boston's last 10 games
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Atlanta's last 10 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Atlanta's last 9 games
Atlanta is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
Atlanta is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
Next up:
Boston home to Atlanta, Friday, May 4
Atlanta at Boston, Friday, May 4
