Steve Starr
- Go to BetOnline or Bovada for the latest odds on the Hawks vs Celtics matchup
- Trae Young finished with a game-high 38 points on Tuesday to extend the best-of-seven series
- TNT airs Game 6 from State Farm Arena in Atlanta on Thursday, April 27 at 8:30pm ET
Trae Young scored 16 points in the fourth quarter to lead his Hawks to a stunning 119-117 comeback victory on Tuesday night. After blowing a 13-point lead at home, Boston now must head to Atlanta for a pressure-packed Game 6.
Can Jayson Tatum and the Celtics close it out on Thursday night? Before we look at the latest line, check out the latest 2023 NBA Playoff Betting Odds and our guide to betting on NBA basketball.
Hawks vs Celtics – Game 6
 | Spread | Money Line | Total Points |
| Boston Celtics | -6.0 (-110) | -225 | Un 232 (-110) |
| Atlanta Hawks | +6.0 (-110) | +195 | Ov 232 (-110) |
Randle plays big in return
Trae Young went off for 38 points, draining his fifth 3-pointer of the night with 2.8 seconds left to seal a 119-117 come-from-behind win. The Hawks capitalized on Celtics’ mistakes to score 23 points on their final 12 possessions. Boston’s players and staff were reportedly stunned by the defeat after leading by 12 midway through the fourth quarter.
Now, instead of preparing for an Eastern Conference semifinals matchup with Joel Embiid and the 76ers, Boston will look to close out the series in Atlanta. Joe Mazzulla’s club picked up a 129-121 Game 4 victory in State Farm Arena after dropping Game 3 130-122.
“When people do that, I think it’s just total respect. I mean, they don’t do that to everybody.”@TheTraeYoung in response to chants from the Celtics crowd pic.twitter.com/ohlQqxAQLl
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) April 26, 2023
Celtics fall apart
Jaylen Brown tallied 35 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists before committing an egregious turnover and shooting an air ball in the final two minutes of Game 5. Jayson Tatum could have also been better, hitting just one of ten 3-point attempts in Tuesday’s loss. Through five games, Tatum is averaging 26.6 points, 9.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists, while Brown has put up 25.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists.
They’ll both need to be at their best on Thursday to keep pace with the Hawks’ 24-year-old point guard. After a cold start to the series, Trae Young has gone for over 30 points in each of the past three contests. Dejounte Murray will also return from a one-game suspension for bumping an official in Game 3. Before his discretion, the Hawks guard was averaging 25.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.8 assists.
Atlanta vs Boston
Boston is a 6-point road favorite on Thursday night. They secured the second-best road record (26-17) in the NBA this season before splitting the first two playoff meetings in Atlanta. The Celtics were also 23-20 against the spread as the visiting team in 2023-23. Meanwhile, the Hawks were 25-18 in State Farm Arena, covering at a miserable 44.2% (19-24).
The over/under for Game 6 is set at 232 points. The first two matchups in this best-of-seven series would have fallen well UNDER that total. However, the total points scored in Game 3 (252), Game 4 (250) and Game 5 (236) were all well OVER where the line sits for Thursday’s game.
TRAE YOUNG FROM THE LOGO. HAWKS TAKE LEAD 😱😱😱 pic.twitter.com/04t1qhiImy
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 26, 2023
Best Bet
Oddsmakers expect the Celtics to clinch the series in 6 games (-245). Celtics in 7 is available at +225 while a Hawks in 7 upset is at +1200.
While coming back from Tuesday’s defeat won’t be easy, this is a mentally-tough Boston team that went all the way to the NBA Finals last season. Take the Celtics to cover the 6 points and advance to the second round.
See below the top sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
