Home | News | Hawks vs. Celtics 2023 NBA Playoffs Odds and Game 2 Preview – April 18th

Hawks vs. Celtics 2023 NBA Playoffs Odds and Game 2 Preview – April 18th

By Jeff Stinger

The Boston Celtics host another game versus the Atlanta Hawks. This First Round Playoff matchup saw a comfortable 13-point victory for the 2022 finalists. We expect it to be another testing night for the guests as they gear up for a clash against a top-two seed squad. While the stats and the regular-season standings heavily favor the Celtics, we know that Atlanta can pull off upset wins. Basketball fans and bettors eagerly anticipate the second Hawks vs. Celtics playoff contest at TD Garden on Tuesday night.

Nitrobetting is ready to dish out key assists and lob passes with betting tips and news coverage throughout the 2023 NBA Playoffs. This time, let’s break down the upcoming playoff showdown between the Atlanta Hawks and the Boston Celtics.

Hawks vs. Celtics Game 2 2023 NBA Playoffs First-Round Information

  • When: Tuesday, April 18, 2023, 7:00 PM ET
  • Where: TD Garden, Boston, MA
  • TV: NBATV
  • Radio: 92.9 “The Game” WZGC FM (Hawks) // 98.5 The Sports Hub (Celtics)
  • Live Stream: NBA League Pass
  • NBA Betting Odds: Hawks (+9.5) / Celtics (-9.5)

READ MORE: Knicks vs. Cavaliers 2023 NBA Playoffs Odds and Game 2 Preview – April 18th

Why Bet on the Atlanta Hawks?

The Hawks performed well defensively against the Celtics in Game 1. Atlanta logged 13 steals, and four blocks, and scored 12 points off the Celtics’ 17 turnovers. However, what pulled the visitors down was their cold shooting from downtown. By the end of the opening game, the visitors hit only five of their 29 looks from deep. They closed the game with an underwhelming 38.8% shooting from the field. These figures are a no-no for a team that does most of the damage on the offensive end.

As a team, Atlanta averages 118.2 points per game and is the third-best regular-season record. They record 48.2% shooting and are incredible from the line with an 81.5% free-throw percentage. More than that, the Southeast Division crew averages 54.4 points in the paint per game and is a seventh-best record in the league.

Defense is where things look shaky for the Hawks. They limit opponents to 117.9 points per game on 48.5% opponent shooting–both of which rank 24th across 82 regular-season games. Furthermore, the team has to do better from a rebounding aspect as they trailed the Celtics 45 boards to 58 in Game 1.

Why Bet on the Boston Celtics?

Boston blew out the Hawks on the floor in their first playoff meeting since 2016, averaging 47.7% from the field versus the Hawks’ 38.8%. What made the difference was their three-point shooting. The Celtics made 13 of their 33 attempts from beyond the arc and did well from the line with an 83.3% free-throw percentage. If the hosts can keep these figures up, there’s a good chance they edge Atlanta before hitting the road for Game 3.

Jaylen Brown took the helm for his team and scored 29 points on 12 of 23 shooting from the field. He also led the team in rebounds versus the Hawks with eight defensive and four offensive boards to his name. With season averages of 26.66 points, 6.93 rebounds, and 3.46 assists per game, we expect the 26-year-old to put in big postseason numbers for his team moving forward.

Overall, Boston documents top-ten figures on both sides of the floor. The team averages 117.9 points per game on 47.5% shooting, featuring 56.6% from the two-point and 37.7% from deep. They also have a reliable free-throw shooting statistic of 81.2%. Meanwhile, they hold opponents to a fourth-best record of 111.3 points per game and another fourth-best figure of 46.2% opponent shooting.

Hawks vs. Celtics Betting Trends

  • The Hawks won four of their last six road playoff games (5-5 ATS).
  • The Hawks are 4-3 in their last seven games (3-4 ATS).
  • The totals have gone over in two of the Hawks’ last three meetings with the Celtics.
  • The Celtics are 2-3 in their last five playoff games at TD Garden (2-3 ATS).
  • The Celtics are 3-0 in their last three home contests versus the Hawks (3-0 ATS).
  • The totals have gone under in three of the Celtics’ last five home playoff games.

Hawks vs. Celtics Game 2 Expert Betting Predictions

The Celtics were comfortable in their first playoff game since losing the finals to the Warriors last year. They played quality defense and are the stronger team with the fans’ support. Joe Mazzulla’s squad is also deeper, which means the starting five does not have to do all the heavy lifting throughout the 48 minutes of play.

Meanwhile, Atlanta needs to step up big time. They underachieved this year but have the right pieces to even things out. The Hawks remain the underdogs and can keep things closer this time after getting a feel of playing against the Celtics. Covering the spread looks like more of a possibility for the visitors. However, a win demands everything from the Hawks if they want to even things out before returning to the State Farm Arena.

Where to Bet on the 2022-23 NBA season with Bitcoin

Nitrobetting offers a solid channel for those who want to bet on the 2023 NBA Season with bitcoin. The power of crypto and its lightning-fast transactions make the entire NBA Season betting more enjoyable.

This is just one of the many sports betting guides that you can read here at Nitrobetting news. Stay tuned for more 2022-23 NBA season previews and articles and don’t forget to check out the latest basketball betting odds on our online BTC sportsbook.

*All odds stated are subject to change without prior notice.