The Boston Celtics are home favorites for Friday night as they get guard Rajon Rondo back in the lineup for the third game of their first-round NBA playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks.
Rondo sat out Game 2 of the set on Tuesday night because of a suspension, and the Celtics ended up losing that contest 87-80 as a road underdog down in Atlanta. That tied up the series at 1-1.
Atlanta is 2-11 SU in its last 13 games when playing on the road against Boston.
Supporters of the Hawks have seen them go 40-26 and 36-27-3 ATS so far this season, while the Celtics are at 39-27 and 34-31-1 ATS. In totals betting, the Celtics are 29-37, while the Hawks are 33-31-2.
View Atlanta vs Boston Odds and Stats.
Betting Line:
Sportsbooks had the Celtics installed as 7.5-point favorites in this particular matchup at Sportsbook. The over-under number was listed by most sportsbooks at 174.5 (including Sportsbook).
Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Celtics sit at No. 17 in the current NBA Power Rankings here at Odds Shark, while the Hawks are at No. 10 on that chart. Math models have concluded that the Hawks will win this game 96-95.
How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Boston's No. 26-ranked offense (91.8 PPG) against a Hawks defense that ranks No. 6 at 93.2 PPG. The Celtics have averaged 46% from the field per game, more than the Hawks have managed so far this season (45.4% on average).
In comparing how the teams stack up statistically, the Hawks own the league's No. 2-rated mark, allowing 92.1 points per game when on the road. Boston, on the other hand, rates No. 28 in home scoring.
Last time out for Boston, they were an 87-80 Sportsbook as they battled the Hawks on the road. The Celtics covered in the match as a 4.5-point underdog, while 167 combined points moved the game UNDER for totals bettors. Boston got 36 points from Paul Pierce en route to an 87-80 victory over Atlanta on Tuesday at Philips Arena.
Atlanta Hawks Trends:
When playing on Friday are 3-7
Before playing Boston are 6-4
After playing Boston are 4-6
After a loss are 8-2
Boston Celtics Trends:
When playing on Friday are 7-3
Before playing Atlanta are 6-4
After playing Atlanta are 8-2
After a win are 5-5
A few Hawks at Celtics trends to consider:
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Atlanta's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta's last 6 games when playing Boston
The total has gone OVER in 13 of Atlanta's last 16 games
Atlanta is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Boston is 11-2 SU in its last 13 games when playing at home against Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Boston's last 6 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games
Next up:
Atlanta at Boston, Sunday, May 6
Boston home to Atlanta, Sunday, May 6
