Celtics vs Hawks Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for NBA Playoffs Game 6 (Atlanta Fails to Extend Series at Home)

The 2022-23 NBA Playoffs continue on Thursday with Game 6 of the first round series between the Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks.

Celtics vs. Hawks Game Info

• Date: Thursday, April 27, 2023
• Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
• Venue: State Farm Arena -- Atlanta, GA
• Coverage: TNT, NBCS-BOS, and BSSE

The Hawks looked down and out as they trailed by 10 points entering the fourth quarter of Game 5, but Trae Young brought them all the way back to secure a 119-117 road win. His long three-pointer with seconds remaining gave Atlanta the lead for good and now they have a chance to tie the series.

Celtics vs. Hawks Odds & Spread

• All NBA betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
• Moneyline: BOS: (-250) | ATL: (+205)
• Spread: BOS: -6 (-108) | ATL: +6 (-112)
• Total: 232.5 -- Over: (-110) | Under: (-110)

The Celtics enter this contest as road favorites on the moneyline and spread per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This 8:30 p.m. ET clash also features an over/under of 232.5 points, with each side available at -110 odds.

Celtics vs. Hawks Betting Trends

• Boston is 8-4 straight up in its last 12 away games against Atlanta.
• The total has hit the over in seven of Boston's last eight away games.
• Atlanta is 2-8 against the spread (ATS) in its last 10 games against Boston.
• The total has hit the over in each of Atlanta's last five home games.

Celtics vs. Hawks Prediction & Pick

Young stepped up in the absence of Dejounte Murray on Tuesday night as he dropped 38 points (14-of-33 shooting) to go along with 13 assists and 4 rebounds. Boston's Jaylen Brown almost matched him with 35 points as it was Jayson Tatum who struggled to score for the Celtics (19 points on 8-of-21 shooting).

Atlanta is back in its home arena, but that may not matter as the road team has emerged victorious in each of the last two games of this series. Anything can happen in a Game 7, so look for a Boston team that ranks second in road average scoring margin (+2.1) to find a way to avoid that scenario.

The Hawks were saved by a stellar outing from long range in Game 5 as they shot 46.3% from beyond the arc. It was quite uncharacteristic of a team that ranks 20th in three-point percentage on the season (35.1%). The Celtics won't let that happen again as they end the series with a road victory.

Final Score Prediction: Celtics: 121 | Hawks: 113

Check out more NBA Playoffs content from The Duel:

Celtics vs. Hawks Best Bet

There's a lot to like about the Celtics' chances of getting off to a hot start in Atlanta. After all, they found themselves up by 4 points at the end of the first quarter in Game 3 and up by 10 points at the end of the first in Game 4. They have led at the end of the first quarter in each of their three wins, too.

It's worth noting that Boston has excelled in the first quarter all year, ranking second in first quarter points per game (30.4) and fourth in opponent first quarter points per game (27.4). Pairing the Celtics to grab an early lead and win their ninth game in their last 13 tries in Atlanta lines up as a great bet.

Bet: First Quarter Winner (Celtics)/Match Winner (Celtics) (-105)

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. 

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.