Hawks vs. Celtics prediction, odds, pick for NBA Cup 2024
11/11/2024 08:52 PM
The Atlanta Hawks and Boston Celtics will meet to kick off the NBA Cup Eastern Group C schedule with their matchup on Tuesday night. The Celtics and Hawks join the Cleveland Cavaliers, Chicago Bulls, and Washington Wizards in the group. It’s time to continue our NBA Cup odds series with a Hawks-Celtics prediction and pick.
The Celtics didn’t have much success after the group stage in the 2023 NBA Cup. Boston won their group, beating out the Orlando Magic, Brooklyn Nets, Toronto Raptors, and Bulls. It was a tight group, as the Magic and Nets had identical 3-1 records, but the Celtics advanced in the tiebreaker. The Indiana Pacers eliminated the Celtics in the first knockout game, 122-112.
The Hawks failed to advance to the knockout stage after defeating the Detroit Pistons in the first group-stage game. To end the tournament, they lost to the Philadelphia 76ers, Pacers, and Cavaliers. Atlanta and Indiana had one of the highest-scoring games of the season in the NBA Cup last year, with Trae Young’s 38 points failing to lead the Hawks past the Pacers in a 157-152 loss.
Here are the Hawks-Celtics NBA Cup odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Cup Odds: Hawks-Celtics Odds
Atlanta Hawks: +15.5 (-108)
Moneyline: +700
Boston Celtics: -15.5 (-112)
Moneyline: -1100
Over: 234.5 (-110)
Under: 234.5 (-110)
How To Watch Hawks vs. Celtics
Time: 7 PM ET/4 PM PT
TV: NBC Sports Boston, Fanduel Sports Network
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why the Hawks Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Hawks are sitting in 11th in the Eastern Conference after back-to-back losses against the Bulls and Pistons. Atlanta had an impressive victory over the New York Knicks at home, but that has been one of the only bright spots of the season. The Hawks haven’t been good with their outright record this season, but they could be profitable from a betting perspective. This is a massive spread for a tournament game, and the Hawks have covered the spread in three of their past five games.
The Celtics are 21st in the NBA in field goal efficiency but rank second in points with 120.2 per game. They also make over 50 three-point attempts per game and hit on 18.5 of them. It is good enough for the 13th-best efficiency, but the Hawks are one of the worst three-point defending teams in the league. They allow the most attempts, the most makes, and the second-worst three-point efficiency.
Why the Celtics Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Celtics picked up where they left off last season by starting the year 9-2. The Celtics’ two losses have been against the Pacers and Golden State Warriors, which is nothing to worry about. Boston hasn’t had a challenging schedule, which includes a 30-point win over Atlanta on the road. Trae Young’s status could be a massive factor in this game, as he is out for the matchup with Achilles tendinitis. Young had just two points in 23 minutes in the Hawks’ loss to the Celtics earlier this season.
Final Hawks-Celtics Prediction & Pick
The Celtics are a poor matchup for the Hawks, thanks to their propensity to shoot the three-ball. They dominated the Hawks in their previous matchup this season but hit just 33% from beyond the arc. You have to believe some positive regression is coming for the Celtics in this matchup, which could be trouble for the Hawks. They lost by 30 in the previous matchup when the Celtics struggled from deep.
Final Hawks-Celtics Prediction & Pick: Celtics -15.5 (-112)
The post Hawks vs. Celtics prediction, odds, pick for NBA Cup 2024 appeared first on ClutchPoints.
