Atlanta Hawks vs Boston Celtics Betting Pick & Prediction 1/18/25
The Atlanta Hawks head to Boston to take on the Celtics in a 7:00 ET Eastern Conference matchup. The Celtics are favored by 11 and have a record of 29-12, which is good for 2nd in the East. The Hawks are 7th in the East with a record of 21-19 and have won two straight games.
The over/under line for this game is 234.5 and can be seen on NBCS. The Celtics are -590 on the moneyline, while the Hawks are +433. This game will be played at TD Garden.
ATLANTA HAWKS VS BOSTON CELTICS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Boston Celtics -11
This game will be played at TD Garden at 7:00 ET on Saturday, January 18th.
WHY BET THE BOSTON CELTICS:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 139-126 in favor of the Celtics.
- Our projections have Jayson Tatum finishing with 26 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists.
- From the field, we have the Celtics finishing with a field goal percentage of 46.7% and knocking down 20 threes.
Can Atlanta Stun the Crowd at TD Garden?
The Hawks improved to 21-19 on the season with a 110-94 road win over the Bulls on Wednesday. Atlanta entered the game as +6.5 point underdogs and covered the spread with the 16-point victory. The total score of 204 points fell well short of the 236-point O/U line.
A key moment in the game was a 15-0 run by the Hawks, which turned a 28-27 deficit into a 42-28 lead. After outscoring Chicago 34-22 in the 2nd quarter, Atlanta held an 86-78 lead going into the 4th and closed out the game by limiting the Bulls to just 16 points in the final period.
Keaton Wallace led the Hawks with 27 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists in their win over the Bulls, shooting 55.6% from the field and hitting 4 threes at 57.1%. Daeqwon Plowden added 19 points, making 5 threes at 83.3% shooting, while Dyson Daniels contributed 18 points and 8 rebounds.
The Hawks shot 41% from the field and 30.2% from three, making 13 threes in the game. Wallace scored 11 points in the 2nd quarter, while Onyeka Okongwu added 9 of his 14 points in the same period.
The Hawks’ defense was strong on Wednesday, holding the Bulls to just 94 points. They gave up 25 points in the 1st quarter but tightened up in the 2nd, allowing only 22. The 3rd quarter saw the Bulls score 31, but the Hawks clamped down in the 4th, giving up just 16 points.
Atlanta did a great job defending the perimeter, holding Chicago to 22% shooting from three, with only 6 made threes. The Hawks also recorded 11 steals and 5 blocks in the game.
Can the Celtics Offense Score Enough at Home?
Boston improved to 29-12 on the season with a dominant 121-94 win over the Magic on Friday. Playing at home, the Celtics entered the game as -14.5 point favorites and covered the spread with a 27-point victory.
Boston took control early, leading 35-28 after the 1st quarter and 66-54 at halftime. They extended their lead to 96-76 by the end of the 3rd quarter and held the Magic to just 18 points in the 4th. The game’s total points of 215 narrowly went over the line of 213.5.
Jayson Tatum’s 30 points and 6 rebounds led the Celtics to a 121-94 win over the Magic, with Tatum scoring 15 points in the 2nd quarter. Kristaps Porzingis added 23 points, including 11 in the 1st quarter, shooting 70% from the field and hitting 3 threes at 60% efficiency.
Jaylen Brown contributed 20 points, with 13 coming in the 3rd quarter. The Celtics shot 52.5% from the field and 45.9% from three, making 17 threes overall. Derrick White chipped in 12 points, scoring 7 in the opening period.
The Celtics put on a defensive clinic against the Magic, holding them to just 94 points. Boston tightened up as the game went on, allowing only 22 points in the 3rd quarter and 18 in the 4th. Overall, the Celtics limited Orlando to 41% shooting from the field.
Boston was especially effective at defending the three, where the Magic shot just 15%, making only 5 threes. The Celtics also recorded 6 steals and 3 blocks in the game.