NBA Playoff Odds: Celtics’ Home Success Worth Monitoring Vs. Hawks
The Boston Celtics will be looking to avoid a sixth consecutive loss to Atlanta and a 3-0 deficit in their first-round playoff series when they host the Hawks in Game 3 on Friday night as +340 underdogs on the NBA series prices at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Boston fell behind 2-0 in the series with a 89-72 loss to Atlanta on Tuesday, failing to cover as a 6.5-point underdog, extending its shaky against-the-spread record at the sportsbooks to 8-14 ATS in its past 22 outings ahead of Friday night’s matchup at TD Garden.
It was a smothering performance by Atlanta, which held the Celtics to just seven points in the first quarter, the fewest first-quarter points scored during a playoff game since the introduction of the shot clock in 1954.
Boston rebounded in the second quarter, outscoring the Hawks by a 21-19 margin, but with just 31.8 percent shooting from the field on the night, the club was unable to close the gap on Atlanta, which led by as many as 21 points in the first half.
The Celtics are eager to return home, where they enjoyed more success this season and will be set as small betting favorites at the sportsbooks.
Boston has won five of its last six games at the Garden, going 19-3 SU in its past 22 home outings, and is ranked fifth in the NBA this season with a 23-17-1 ATS record at home.
Atlanta’s stingy defensive performance in Game 2 forced the point total UNDER for a fourth straight game and the sixth time in its past seven outings while ending a three-game ATS losing streak at the sportsbooks and improving to just 3-7 ATS in their past 10 games
The Hawks now must overcome a three-game SU losing streak on the road if they are to take a stranglehold lead and potentially claim their first playoff series victory over the Celtics since beating Boston in the 1958 NBA Finals.
The Hawks have lost nine straight playoff series to the Celtics since then, and must also contend with an eight-game SU losing streak in playoff contests in Boston dating back to 1988. However, they have covered in two of their last three playoff games in Boston, each time as betting underdogs at the sportsbooks, according to the OddsShark NBA Database.
Thumbnail photo via Jason Getz/USA TODAY Sports Images
