An Eastern Conference battle featuring the Atlanta Hawks (26-29) and Boston Celtics (32-25) gets underway on Sunday afternoon. The Celtics roll into this contest on a seven-game winning streak, while the Hawks have lost three of their last four matchups. However, Atlanta has dominated this series recently, winning four of its last five meetings against Boston.
Tip-off from TD Garden is at 2 p.m. ET. Boston is favored by 7.5-points in the latest Hawks vs. Celtics odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under is 223. Before locking in any Celtics vs. Hawks picks, be sure to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit on its top-rated NBA picks over the past three-plus seasons. The model enters Week 17 of the 2021-22 NBA season on a stunning 65-36 roll on all top-rated NBA picks, returning almost $2,400. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Celtics vs. Hawks, and just locked in its picks and NBA predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several NBA betting lines and trends for Hawks vs. Celtics:
- Hawks vs. Celtics spread: Boston -7.5
- Hawks vs. Celtics over-under: 223 points
- Hawks vs. Celtics money line: Boston -300, Atlanta +240
- ATL: The Hawks are 12-4 ATS in their last 16 Sunday games
- BOS: The under is 8-2 in Boston's last 10 games
Why the Celtics can cover
Boston heads into this contest red-hot. The Celtics are currently on a seven-game winning streak and beat the Denver Nuggets 108-102 in their last contest. There were five players who scored in double figures for Boston. They were led by forward Jayson Tatum, who had a team-high 24 points, six rebounds, five assists, and three steals.
Guard Marcus Smart also stuffed the stat sheet in the win. Smart finished with 22 points, five rebounds, seven assists, and five steals. Center Robert Williams III made his presence felt in the paint. He logged a double-double with 15 points, 16 rebounds and three blocks, while shooting 7-for-12 from the floor. Boston has played great basketball over the past two weeks and will look to secure their eighth win in a row on Sunday.
Why the Hawks can cover
Guard Trae Young has produced for Atlanta this season. He is third in the NBA in scoring (27.6), assists (9.4), and sixth in PER (25.06). The Oklahoma product is a smooth operator on offense, who can pull up from 30-feet with ease. Young has scored at least 30 points in 21 games. His best performance of the season came on Jan. 3 against the Portland Trail Blazers, a game in which he dropped 56 points, 14 assists, and shot 7-for-12 from 3-point land.
Forward De'Andre Hunter is a nice wing on the perimeter for the Hawks. He is averaging 12.9 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. Hunter can make shots from deep, shooting 39 percent from long range. The 2019 fourth overall pick scored at least 20 points in six contests. Center Clint Capela has been one of the best rebounders in the NBA. He is third in rebounds (12.1) along with 10.9 points per game. Capela is coming off a 13-point, 11 rebound outing against the San Antonio Spurs.
How to make Hawks vs. Celtics picks
SportsLine's model is leaning under on the total, projecting 216 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits almost 70 percent of the time. You can only see the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Celtics vs. Hawks? And which side of the spread hits almost 70 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks, and find out.
