Celtics vs Hawks Game 3 Prediction and Best Bets

After back-to-back 13-point wins at home, the Boston Celtics head into Game 3 of their series with the Atlanta Hawks (7:00 pm ET, ESPN) in a very strong position. With a win tonight at State Farm Arena, Boston will be all but certain of a spot in the Eastern Conference semifinals, barring the most miraculous of comebacks.

On the other side, a return home offers up the opportunity for the Hawks to put two poor performances at TD Garden behind them and get back into the series. As it stands, the Celtics are heavily favored to win the series and still will be even if they lose tonight, but a win tonight for the home team will at least set up some level of suspense.

Who will take the win tonight in the ATL, and how should you bet tonight's matchup? Read on for our Celtics vs Hawks prediction and best bets, including our favorite player prop picks.

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Boston Celtics vs Atlanta Hawks Odds

Odds are via BetOnline as of Friday, April 21, 2023, at 1:10 pm ET.

Spread

• Boston Celtics -5.5 (-110)
• Atlanta Hawks +5.5 (-110)

Over/Under

• Over 228 (-114)
• Under 228 (-106)

Moneyline

• Boston Celtics -220
• Atlanta Hawks +184

Will the Hawks Fare Better at Home?

In Boston, Atlanta spent a good portion of Games 1 and 2 not only trailing but trailing by double digits, so it will be interesting to see if they can bridge the gap at home.

Game 2 went better than Game 1, even though the final margin was 13 points in both games. In Game 1, the Celtics were up by double digits after a quarter, but in Game 2, the Hawks actually jumped out to an 11-point lead in the first quarter before the Celtics went on a 17-3 run to close out the quarter.

Also, after trailing by 30 points at halftime in Game 1, the Hawks trailed by only 12 at halftime in Game 2. So, there's that.

Will they be able to feed off of the energy at home and actually push for the win tonight? In the regular season, the Hawks were 24-17 SU and 18-23-0 ATS at home. Against teams that qualified for either the play-in tournament or the playoffs, Atlanta was 14-13 SU and 11-16-0 ATS at home in the regular season.

That winning SU record is a positive and pushes the hope meter just a tad in the right direction. But the Hawks lost and failed to cover in both home matchups with the Celtics, and they still have yet to cover against Boston in five meetings this season.

Boston Celtics vs Atlanta Hawks Prediction and Best Bets

Prediction for Celtics vs Hawks: Celtics to win

Best Bets for Celtics vs Hawks: Celtics to cover (Best Value: -5 @ Bovada Sportsbook & BetUS)

I think the Hawks can win at home, but based on what I saw in the first two games, I don't expect the Celtics to have a drop-off tonight. The sooner they can finish the Hawks off, the better, and they won't want to waste the opportunity to take a basically unassailable lead in the series tonight.

Also, from a betting perspective, the Hawks have been absolutely terrible as an underdog across the last few months. In their last dozen games as an underdog, Atlanta is 2-10 SU and 3-9-0 ATS, including 0-3 SU and ATS at home. Two of those losses are at the hands of the team they are trying to upset tonight.

Best Player Prop Bets for Celtics vs Hawks

• Dejounte Murray over 20.5 points (Best Value: BetOnline)
• Dejounte Murray over 31.5 points + rebounds + assists (Best Value: Bovada Sportsbook)

Murray was Atlanta's top scorer in Game 1 and again in Game 2, scoring 24 points in Game 1 and 29 in Game 2.

He also filled up the stat sheet elsewhere, recording eight rebounds, six assists, and three steals in Game 1 and six rebounds, six assists, and four steals in Game 2.

Even if Trae Young finally finds his shot tonight, the Hawks need Murray to continue doing what he has done thus far in the series.

Where to Bet on Celtics vs Hawks

Here are four legal sports betting sites that we highly recommend and have reviewed, where you can bet on this year's NBA postseason action.

This is obviously a very popular time of year for NBA betting, and you can get in on the action at any of the top sports betting sites out there.

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