Steve Starr
- Go to BetOnline or Bovada for the latest odds on the Celtics vs Hawks matchup
- Trae Young and the Hawks were ice cold from 3-point land in Saturday’s series-opening loss
- NBA TV will broadcast Game 2 from TD Garden in Boston on Tuesday, April 18 at 7pm ET
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown each had strong performances in a 112-99 Game 1 victory that was nowhere near as close as the scoreboard might suggest. Boston led by 30 points at halftime, dominating from the opening tip before letting Atlanta sneak back into the game late.
Can Trae Young and the Hawks rebound in Game 2 or is this series headed for a four-game sweep? Before we look at the latest odds, check out the latest 2023 NBA Playoff Betting Odds and our guide to betting on NBA basketball.
Celtics vs Hawks – Game 2
 | Spread | Money Line | Total Points |
| Atlanta Hawks | +10.0 (-107) | +395 | Ov 228.5 (-110) |
| Boston Celtics | -10.0 (-113) | -500 | Un 228.5 (-110) |
Celtics cruise to Game 1 win
Let’s face it – Game 1 wasn’t even close. Jaylen Brown registered 29 points and 12 rebounds, and Jayson Tatum put up 25 points with 11 boards in the 112-99 win. The Celtics led by as many as 32 points before taking their foot off the gas pedal.
The Hawks missed their first ten 3-point attempts, finishing the contest 5-of-29 from beyond the arc. Trae Young also set an ignominious record of his own. After finishing 1-of-5 from 3-point range, the 24-year-old point guard has made just eight of his last 49 three-point shots in the playoffs. The fewest makes on that many attempts in any seven-game stretch in NBA playoff history.
Jaylen Brown today:
29 PTS – 12 REB – 3 AST – 52% FGJayson Tatum today:
25 PTS – 11 REB – 2 AST – 3 3PM pic.twitter.com/0NwrCIdhwE— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) April 15, 2023
Any hope for the Hawks?
If Atlanta is looking for silver linings, they went on a 32-12 run to cut Boston’s deficit to just eight points in the fourth-quarter of Game 1. Dejounte Murray had a strong outing with 24 points, eight rebounds and six assists, and Young couldn’t possibly be as bad again, right? Quin Snyder’s club missed 19 of 21 three-pointers through three quarters, so that’s bound to get better.
That said, Boston swept the season series 3-0 and has now won six-straight games against the Hawks.
Boston vs Atlanta
Boston is a 10-point home favorite on Tuesday night. They’ve outscored Atlanta by 53 points in their four matchups in 2022-23. Joe Mazzulla’s squad maintained a 33-9 record in TD Garden this season, covering 59.5% of their home games. That’s the fifth-best mark league-wide. Meanwhile, Atlanta was 19-23-1 against the spread in visiting team’s building’s this year.
The total for Game 2 is set at 228.5 points. Boston home games went OVER 61% of the time this season (third-highest in NBA), while Hawks road contests hit the OVER at a rate of 58.1%.
Trae Young is 8/49 from 3 in his last 7 playoff games.
This is the most attempts with the fewest makes in a 7-game span in playoff history. pic.twitter.com/AHmefBiXbL
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 15, 2023
Best Bet
Of all this year’s first-round matchups, this one feels destined for a sweep. Atlanta is stuck in NBA purgatory and headed towards major changes this summer.
The Celtics will cover the 10 points in Game 2 and cruise to an easy series victory before meeting the 76ers in an incredible Eastern Conference Semi-Final.
See below the top sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
