This Thursday, the Boston Celtics (3-2) will play the Atlanta Hawks (2-3) at the State Farm Arena for Game 6 of their first-round playoff tie. In Game 5, the Boston Celtics had an opportunity to clinch the series but a 119-117 loss at the TD Garden allowed the Atlanta Hawks to close the gap to 3-2. It all comes down to this – the Boston Celtics need just one more victory to close out the series. But can they fend off a determined Atlanta Hawks team that’s vying to force a final showdown in Game 7?

Form Atlanta Hawks

The 117-119 victory saw the Atlanta Hawks improve their past 10-game record against the Boston Celtics to 2-8. They’ve won 44 of their 88 matches this season, going 25-18 at the State Farm Arena alone.

The Atlanta Hawks have been lighting opponents up all season. Their 118.2 points per game average sit right up there with the very best the NBA has to offer. The Atlanta Hawks have been struggling on the defensive end. They’ve allowed an average of 119.8 points in their last five games and over 118.1 every game this season.

The Atlanta Hawks have had a solid season, collecting 44 wins and 44 defeats in 88 games. They may not be one of the top championship contenders, but their talented roster is capable of a deep run in the playoffs.

No injuries have been reported for the Atlanta Hawks prior to their upcoming game.

Form Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics dropped their latest game in the series against the Atlanta Hawks with a score of 117-119. This season, they have won 60 out of the 87 games they have competed in, with 26 of those victories away from home.

The Boston Celtics have achieved a remarkable average of 118.0 points per game this season, with an impressive 115.8 road points. In their previous five games, the Boston Celtics were shaky in defense. They gave up a whopping 115.0 points on average, leaving their season tally at 111.6 points per game.

There is no denying that the Boston Celtics have been a force to be reckoned with in the Championship. They have been utterly dominant, securing 60 wins from their 87 matches. It is certainly a team that deserves close attention.

The only reported injury concern for the Boston Celtics is Danilo Gallinari.

H2H

The Boston Celtics completely dominated the Atlanta Hawks throughout the regular season. They left nothing to chance and swept the series 3-0. In the playoff series, the Boston Celtics began strong with two successive home wins. But the Atlanta Hawks have clawed their way back by winning two of the past three matchups.

In their last ten contests, the Atlanta Hawks scored an average of 110.8 points per game, while the Boston Celtics conceded an average of 119.1 points.

Betting

Bet365 offers odds for the Atlanta Hawks and the Boston Celtics standoff.To view the complete list of odds

• Moneyline (ML): Boston Celtics (1.36) | Atlanta Hawks (3.25)
• Against the spread (ATS): Boston Celtics -6.5 (1.91) | Atlanta Hawks +6.5 (1.91)
• Over/Under (O/U): 232.5 (1.91) | (1.91)

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Moneyline

Take the Boston Celtics to win (1.36) on the moneyline.

The Atlanta Hawks may have been triumphant in their last contest, but their recent performance has been a bit erratic. The hosts have gone 5-5 record in their last 10 games. They now go into their latest game as the 3.25 home underdogs. Despite their recent 117-119 loss against the Atlanta Hawks, the Boston Celtics are still expected to come out on top. They’ve won eight of their last ten games against the Atlanta Hawks, giving them 1.36 odds and an implied probability of 73% of a road win.

Siding with a Boston Celtics win looks worth a punt. They may be on the road, but their 7-3 record gives them an advantage over the Atlanta Hawks, who have lost five out of ten matches recently.

Against the Spread

Betting on the Atlanta Hawks +6.5 (1.91) is our favorite play for this matchup.

The Boston Celtics are the 6.5-point favorites in Thursday’s game when they play the Atlanta Hawks on the road. They’ve triumphed in three of their last five trips to the State Farm Arena, winning by an average of 14.0 points.

The Atlanta Hawks have gone 19-24 ATS at the State Farm Arena. Their overall record for the season is 39-49 ATS. The Atlanta Hawks walked a tightrope in their previous ten encounters, covering the spread on five occasions. They managed to put up an average of 119.3 points while keeping their opponents to 118.1 points on average.

On the road, the Boston Celtics have put together a 23-20 ATS record and are 49-38 ATS in all games. In their previous ten, the Boston Celtics failed to cover three times, scoring an average of 116.0 points and permitting 110.1 points.

Over/Under

Go for Total over 232.5 (1.91).

The Atlanta Hawks and the Boston Celtics have faced each other in ten matches, with an average of 229.9 points between them. On their last five encounters at the State Farm Arena, the average score was 237.6 points.

On Thursday, the combined point total for the Atlanta Hawks and the Boston Celtics is available at 232.5, which is 2.3 points lower than the average of 234.8 points in their last five confrontations. Placing a wager on the Over in the total market will give you odds of 1.91.

The Atlanta Hawks went over in their last five games at the State Farm Arena. Their home record is 24-19 O/U. In the last five Atlanta Hawks home games, the average total points was 256.2. The score exceeded the total line five times, going 7-3 O/U across the past ten overall.

The last two Boston Celtics games on the road exceeded the total. Their away record is 18-24 O/U. The total went over in no less than four of the last five road games for the Boston Celtics. In all, the Over is 5-4 across their past 10 contests.