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NBA Betting – Celtics vs. Hawks (Dec. 17)

Free pick and preview plus NBA betting odds and basketball lines for the matchup featuring the Boston Celtics and the Atlanta Hawks…

NBA Playoff Rematch Celtics @ Hawks

The Boston Celtics (23-2 SU, 14-11 ATS, 11-13-1 O/U) may be in the midst of a thrilling 15-game winning streak in the BetUS Sportsbook, but that mark will be put to the test tonight by a team that has been waiting to play the Celtics at home all season – the rejuvenated Atlanta Hawks (15-9 SU, 13-11 ATS, 9-13-2 O/U).  

Atlanta will host Boston tonight at Philips Arena, suddenly one of the toughest places to play in the entire league, following last season’s thrilling first round playoff series between the two teams.

The Hawks have won nine of their first ten home games this season, including seven straight coming into tonight’s contest.

Atlanta is currently riding a three-game winning streak and is coming off a close, 83-79 home win over the Charlotte Bobcats just two nights after snapping the Cleveland Cavalier’s 11-game winning streak with a 97-92 victory.

The Hawks got 28 points from Joe Johnson on 11-for-18 shooting, to narrowly beat the revamped Bobcats despite failing to cover the spread for BetUS NBA sports betting backers.

“If we continue to take care of our home court, we can put ourselves in good position to get ahead of some of the teams in our division,” said Johnson. “It’s a big advantage (playing at home), especially when the crowd is up to it.”

Fan support should not be a problem tonight as the Hawks and their fans rose to new heights in last season’s first round playoff series. Following a Hawks win in Game 6, perennial all-star power forward Kevin Garnett was prompted to say, “I’ve played 13 years, and I’ve been here every year for 13 years. This is the first time I’ve seen this atmosphere like this (in Atlanta).”

Atlanta will likely want to extract some revenge for this season’s loss to Boston back on Nov. 2 when Paul Pierce nailed a game-winning fade-away jump shot as time expired to lift the Celtics to a 103-102 victory.

Boston’s most recent victory was a 100-91 win over the Utah Jazz on Monday, though they failed to cover the spread for NBA betting backers as a 9.5-point home favorite just as I predicted in the BetUS Locker Room.

The Celtics got a career-high 25 points, along with nine rebounds and eight assists from blossoming point guard Rajon Rondo and 19 points and 10 rebounds from Garnett.

Pierce injured his left knee late in the win but should be a go for tonight.

“It should be all right,” Pierce said. “I put a little weight on it. It didn’t go back that far, so it should be all right.”

Here is a look at tonight’s key trends, followed by my in-depth analysis and NBA Free Pick.

Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Boston’s last 6 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Boston’s last 6 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Atlanta is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Atlanta’s last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Atlanta’s last 6 games when playing Boston
Atlanta is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Boston

NBA Odds

Boston Celtics -4½ Points
Atlanta Hawks +4½ Points

Over 186 -110
Under 186 -110

Analysis: While I love the way the Celtics are playing and know they are going to bring their collective ‘A’ game tonight, I like the Atlanta Hawks to cover the spread by likely winning outright at home against the Celtics.

This game is going down to the wire NBA sports betting backers – and I like the high-flying Hawks to extract some revenge on the C’s tonight.

NBA Free Picks: Atlanta +4½ Points/Under 186 Total Points

By Cappers Picks

Articles on CappersPicks.com are written by Q (the Head Honcho) at Cappers Picks or by our resident "in house" handicapper Razor Ray Monohan! Enjoy the free picks folks! "Pad that bankroll one day at a time!"