Hawks vs. Celtics Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for NBA Playoffs Game 3 (Boston Cruises to Dominant 3-0 Series Lead)

The 2022-23 NBA Playoffs continue on Friday with Game 3 of the first round series between the Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks.

Hawks vs. Celtics Game Info

• Date: Friday, April 21, 2023
• Time: 7:00 PM ET
• Venue: State Farm Arena -- Atlanta, Georgia
• Coverage: ESPN, BSSE, and NBCS-BOS

Neither of the first two games in this series were particularly lose. The Celtics emerged victorious by a score of 112-99 in Game 1 thanks to Jaylen Brown's big night (29 points & 12 rebounds) and came out on top by a score of 119-106 in Game 2 behind Jayson Tatum's shooting acumen (29 points).

Hawks vs. Celtics Odds & Spread

• All NBA betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
• Moneyline: ATL: (+168) | BOS: (-200)
• Spread: ATL: +5 (-110) | BOS: -5 (-110)
• Total: 229 -- Over: (-110) | Under: (-110)

The Celtics enter this contest as moderate road favorites on the moneyline and spread per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This 7 p.m. ET clash also features an over/under of 229 points, with each side available at -110 odds.

Celtics vs Hawks Betting Information

Favorite	Spread	Favorite Spread Odds	Underdog Spread Odds	Total	Over Total Odds	Under Total Odds	Favorite Moneyline	Underdog Moneyline
Celtics	-5	-112	-108	227.5	-112	-108	-210	176

Hawks vs. Celtics Betting Trends

• The Celtics are 39-35-4 against the spread this season.
• The Hawks have an ATS record of 8-4 in their 12 games as an underdog of 5 points or more this year.
• This season, 40 of the Celtics' games have gone over the point total.
• The Hawks have eclipsed the over/under 57.7% of the time this year (45 of 78 games with a set point total).
• Boston owns a better record against the spread in home games (21-17-1) than it does in away games (18-18-3).
• Atlanta's winning percentage against the spread at home is .436 (17-22-0). On the road, it is .462 (18-21-0).

Hawks vs. Celtics Prediction & Pick

The Hawks have looked outmatched in almost every way so far. They lost the rebounding battle in Game 1 and lost the turnover battle in Game 2, showcasing how they cannot seem to put all the pieces together on the court. Atlanta is also shooting a dismal 27.3% from three-point range.

Usually heading back home would be beneficial in this situation, but the Hawks are facing a Celtics team that is one of the five left in the Eastern Conference Playoffs with a winning record on the road (25-16). In fact, Boston owns the second-best average scoring margin in away games (+3.0) this year.

The Celtics have won seven of their last 10 games in Atlanta as well as seven straight games against the Hawks overall. Their ability to score the ball with ease shouldn't stop against an Atlanta squad that ranks 19th in defensive efficiency and 25th in point allowed per game (117.4) at home this season.

Final Score Prediction: Hawks: 111 | Celtics: 120

Hawks vs. Celtics Best Bet

The Hawks have all the motivation in the world to come out fighting in the first quarter in hopes of avoiding sinking into an 0-3 hole in front of the home crowd. The Celtics have shown they like to take over in the second quarter, though, outscoring Atlanta by margins of 20 & 9 in the first two games.

That's something Boston has been doing all year as they rank below only the Kings when it comes to second quarter points per game (30.2) and check in sixth in second quarter points allowed per game (28.1). The Celtics also own the best average second quarter margin (+2.1), so trust them in this spot.

Bet: Second Quarter Spread - Boston Celtics -1.5 (+104)

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.