The Atlanta Hawks (9-6) take on the visiting Boston Celtics (7-6) at Philips Arena. The game starts at 8:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Nov. 24 and will air on TNT.
The Hawks lost to the Cavaliers 109-97 on Saturday. Paul Millsap played well in the loss for Atlanta, recording 14 points and 11 rebounds to earn his seventh double-double of the season. The Celtics, meanwhile, are coming off a 111-101 loss to the Nets on Sunday. Avery Bradley played well for Boston, posting 27 points, four rebounds, and two steals.
Bradley has been on fire over the last five games for the Celtics, averaging 20.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 2.0 steals, and 3.2 three-pointers.
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Celtics won the first game 106-93. Isaiah Thomas played a huge role in the victory by recording a double-double with 23 points and 10 assists.
The Hawks, a five-point favorite, will look to capitalize at home against Boston. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is 204 points. The Hawks enter the game with records of 9-6 Straight Up (SU) and 6-8-1 Against The Spread (ATS). They have gone 6-4 SU and 4-5-1 ATS against teams from the Eastern Conference. Atlanta has been steady from the free throw line, shooting a superb .804. Few teams in the league have a higher assist-to-turnover ratio than Atlanta, which ranks fourth at 1.79. Turning to the defensive side, the Hawks are the third-best team in the league at taking the ball away from their opponents, averaging 9.7 steals per game. If its opponents turn the ball over, Atlanta has shown that it knows how to capitalize. They average 21.5 points off turnovers, making them the top team in the league for that category. Expect Atlanta to have lots of opportunities at the line against the Celtics, who are one of the most foul-prone teams in the league with an average of 23.9 fouls per game.
Across the court, the Celtics head into the game with records of 7-6 both ATS and SU. Boston has records of 5-4 SU and ATS against the East. Defenses have a tough time accounting for every player when up against the Celtics, who are known for distributing the ball with 24.4 assists per game. When it comes to stealing the ball, the Celtics are the best in the league with an average of 11.5 steals per game. Boston makes opponents pay for turning the ball over, ranking second in points off turnovers with an average of 23.0 per game.
The Celtics’ win over Atlanta in their last clash brought their SU record in the past 10 games to 6-4. Additionally, the Celtics lead the matchup ATS with a record of 7-3.
Predictions: SU Winner – Bos, ATS Winner – Bos, O/U – Over
Notes
Atlanta is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Atlanta’s last 6 games.
Atlanta is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games.
Atlanta is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games at home.
Atlanta is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Atlanta’s last 12 games at home.
Atlanta is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games when playing Boston.
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Atlanta’s last 8 games when playing at home against Boston.
Atlanta ranks 13th in points per game with 101.4, while Boston ranks ninth in points allowed with an average of 97.8 given up.
Atlanta ranks 12th in the league with 102.2 points per home game. Boston gives up just 94.8 points per away game (ranked fourth).
In games where they allow fewer than 100 points, the Atlanta Hawks are a superb 7-2. In games where they fail to hit triple digits, the Boston Celtics have a losing record of 1-3.
The Atlanta Hawks have a poor 2-4 record in games where they have allowed at least 100 points. The Boston Celtics are 6-3 when they hit triple digits.
The Celtics have a defensive rating of 97.4, fourth-best in the NBA. The Hawks also rank in the top half of the league for their offensive rating of 103.7 (ranked eighth).
The Boston Celtics average 101.8 possessions per game and 1.019 points per possession. The Atlanta Hawks earn fewer possessions with 97.7, but they score more points with 1.037.
The Atlanta Hawks have one of the best effective field goal percentages this season, ranking fifth in the league with an EFF% of 51.5%. When their opponents record a similar or higher EFF%, the Boston Celtics are winless with a 0-3 record.
The Atlanta Hawks, ranked second in the NBA, average 25.8 assists per game. The Boston Celtics make 24.4 assists (ranked fifth)
Atlanta makes an average of 5.1 blocks per game (ranked 15th), while Boston makes 4.5 blocks per game (ranked 22nd).
Atlanta is ranked 28th when it comes to offensive rebounding. Boston ranks 27th in defensive rebounds.
Boston ranks first in steals per game with 11.5. When Atlanta allows 11 or more steals, the team has an even 1-1 record.
