posted April 18, 2008 at 14:14 in NBA Free Picks

NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs

BOSTON CELTICS (66-16 SU, 52-28-2 ATS) vs. ATLANTA HAWKS (37-45 SU, 38-44 ATS)

BetUS NBA Basketball Betting Odds

Series Price

BOSTON -10000

ATLANTA +2000

The Schedule:

Game 1 — April 20, Hawks at Celtics 8:30 p.m. (TNT)

Game 2 — April 23, Hawks at Celtics 8:00 p.m. (TNT)

Game 3 — April 26, Celtics at Hawks 8:00 p.m. (ESPN/R)

Game 4 — April 28, Celtics at Hawks 8:00 p.m. (TNT)

Game 5 (if necessary) — April 30, Hawks at Celtics TBD

Game 6 (if necessary) — May 2, Celtics at Hawks TBD

Game 7 (if necessary) — May 4, Hawks at Celtics TBD

Boston won the three meetings between these teams, all of them by double digits. The Celtics finished 29 games ahead of Atlanta in the Eastern Conference standings - That's pretty staggering. Atlanta's key inside player is rookie of the year candidate Al Horford, but he has his hands full guarding the likes of Kevin Garnett (19 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 1.4 steals), a genuine MVP candidate who shot 62.5% in games against Atlanta.

Ex-Celtic Joe Johnson (22.1 ppg) tries to come back and haunt his former club, but this is the toughest team to shoot against in the league (41.9% FG's allowed) and yields the second lowest points (90.2 ppg). The Hawks are going to have a very hard time generating offense in the half-court. Having Mike Bibby and his vast playoff experience (51 games' worth) is certainly a positive for Atlanta, and he presents a sharp contrast with Rajon Rondo, who has never played in the NBA post-season, but it can be argued that the Hawks sacrificed too much depth in order to acquire Bibby, and that will come back to hurt them.

And speaking of depth - at the outset of the season, Boston looked like it might have a pretty thin bench, but it is now clear that this is a team with a lot of depth. There are several role players who can step in and make a real contribution, including Leon Powe (7.6 ppg), Eddie House (7.5 ppg), James Posey (7.3 ppg), Tony Allen (6.4 ppg), and now Sam Cassell (11 ppg), who can trump Bibby's playoff experience. Doc Rivers had a chance to rest his starters an awful lot in the season's last couple of weeks and so the "Big Three" of Garnett, Paul Pierce (19.8 ppg) and Ray Allen (17.6 ppg) should be very fresh.

It was a fine accomplishment for Atlanta to make the playoffs this season, and with a young nucleus that includes Horford, Josh Smith, Josh Childress, Marvin Williams and Acie Law, there is a future to look forward to. But the biggest question in this series is whether the Hawks can win one of their home games. I was tremendously impressed by the way Boston stayed strong all season, and actually improved in the area of the bench. They are not simply a product of a weak conference either; the 25-5 record against Western teams should attest to that.

Unfortunately for Atlanta, I think this is a situation where Boston may even get to rest its starters some more at times, as it awaits the winner of the Cleveland-Washington series.

JAY'S PREDICTION: BOSTON (-10000) IN FOUR GAMES

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(Charles Jay of http://www.eBookies.com is a freelance writer and handicapper who not only can make his shots from the top of the key, but also contributes with gusto to the BetUS Locker Room)