Posted on
4/25/2008 5:55:18 PM
NBA Basketball Betting – Celtics Look Finish Hawks Series Quickly
By Eric Williams
Although the Atlanta Hawks, (37-47 SU, 37-46-1 ATS, 42-42 O/U), will face the powerful Boston Celtics, (68-16 SU, 54-28-2 ATS, 36-47-1 O/U) at home and are saying all the right things about how their fans will be loud and frenzied, the fact of the matter is that the Hawks are taking on the league’s best road team during the regular season as the Celtics recorded an impressive 31-10 road record while no other team in the league managed to win more than 27 road contests.
"It will be loud," Hawks forward Marvin Williams said. "I remember when they came down there in the season, that's probably the most full it has been. We'll be back on our home court. Our fans will be ready for a good game and we'll be ready to play."
The Hawks had better be ready after suffering two emphatic blowouts in Boston including a 96-77 rout in Game 2 on Wednesday.
"We don't really care where we are at,” Celtics head coach Doc Rivers said. “We didn't make a big deal of it and we never talk about [being] on the road. Our veterans have great focus. That really helps. Young guys lose focus on the road more than veterans. Veterans have been through it all, so they just come to play."
Boston beat Atlanta 99-89 at home on April 12 in their only visit to Atlanta’s Philips Arena, but the young Hawks say they are not perturbed.
"We worked hard to get better over the years," Williams said. "We are in a tough position down two games to probably the best team in the league right now. But we still got to fight. We are still in it. The season's not over. We just have to take it one game at a time, and that's how we feel. But we're back at home. We're excited to be back there. I think teams always play better at home. It's easier. When you're on the road, so many things come into play. We'll be ready to go."
Of course, beating the Celtics is easier said than done as Williams and his teammates will find out in this matchup.
The Celtics have won six straight games and eight of ten dating back to the regular season and have covered the spread in six consecutive games as well while the Hawks have lost seven of their last ten including their two postseason losses, while failing to cover the spread in five consecutive games.
Here is a look at tonight’s key trends followed by my NBA Betting Picks.
The Celtics are 5-1 ATS in their last six vs. NBA Southeast.
The Celtics are 5-1 ATS in their last six games as a road favorite of 5.0-10.5.
The Hawks are 1-4 ATS in their last five home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
The Hawks are 1-4 ATS in their last five games playing on two days rest.
The Under is 5-0 in Celtics last five Conference Quarterfinals games.
The Under is 5-0 in Hawks last five vs. a team with a winning S.U. record.
The Under is 5-0 in the last five meetings.
The Celtics are 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.
Analysis: Boston’s 99-89 regular season win in Atlanta is the perfect contest to look at for NBA bettors who may be worried that the Celtics won’t cover the 9.5–point spread in this contest. After two hardcore spankings over the eastern conference counterparts, I say take the Celtics to make it three playoff ‘beat-downs’ in a row over the young Hawks while covering the spread with just a bit of room to spare.
NBA Free Picks: Celtics – 9½ Points/Under 187 Total Points
08:00 PM EST NBA Odds
Boston Celtics -9½ -110
Atlanta Hawks +9½ -110
Over 187 -110
Under 187 -110
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