The Boston Celtics (57-15, first in the Eastern Conference) will be facing off against the Atlanta Hawks (33-39, 10th in the Eastern Conference) in Atlanta on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. EDT. The FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK NBA LINE has the Celtics favored by 16 points with an over/under of 227.5.
Atlanta will be looking to extend their three-game win streak with a victory over Boston. The Hawks have a 19-26 record in Eastern Conference games and are 17-26 against opponents with a winning record. Meanwhile, the Celtics have a dominant 38-8 record against Eastern Conference opponents and boast the second-highest scoring average in the league at 121.1 points per game.
Despite the Celtics’ offensive prowess, the Hawks average 119.2 points per game, 9.6 more than the Celtics allow. Boston is known for their 3-point shooting, making an average of 16.6 threes per game compared to the 14.0 threes given up by the Hawks.
This will be the fourth meeting between the two teams this season, with the Hawks winning the last matchup 120-118 on March 25. De’Andre Hunter led the way for Atlanta with 24 points in that victory.
Key players to watch in this game include Dejounte Murray for the Hawks, who is averaging 22.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and 1.5 steals, and Jayson Tatum for the Celtics, who is averaging 27.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 4.9 assists.
Both teams have had strong performances in their last 10 games, with the Hawks going 5-5 and the Celtics going 9-1. Injuries to key players on both teams could impact the outcome of the game, with Trae Young, Jrue Holiday, and Al Horford among those listed as day-to-day or out.