The Boston Celtics, currently leading the Eastern Conference with a record of 57-15, will face the Atlanta Hawks, who are in 10th place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 33-39. FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK NBA LINE has the Celtics favored by 16 points, with an over/under of 227.5.
Atlanta will look to extend their three-game winning streak against Boston on Thursday at 7:30 pm EDT. The Hawks have a solid track record against opponents with winning records, winning 17 out of their 26 games against such teams. However, they have struggled in Eastern Conference games, losing all three they’ve played so far this season and going just 19-26 overall in conference play.
On the other hand, the Celtics have been dominant against Eastern Conference opponents this season, going undefeated against them (38-0) and boasting the second-highest scoring average in the league at 121.1 points per game. Despite their impressive offensive prowess, however, Boston is allowing more than its own scoring output (14 threes given up compared to their average of 16.6), which may give Atlanta an opportunity to stay close and potentially pull off an upset.
The two teams have met four times this season already, with Boston winning the last matchup on March 25th by a single point (120-118). De’Andre Hunter led Atlanta in that game with his impressive performance of 24 points for his team.
In terms of key players to watch for each team, Jayson Tatum will be one to keep an eye on for Boston as he continues to shine with his impressive performance so far this season – averaging 27 ,3 points per game while also contributing well as a rebounder and playmaker (8.2 rebounds and 4.9 assists). For Atlanta, Dejounte Murray stands out as a standout player who has consistently delivered strong performances all year long – averaging a double-digit number of points (22.4), rebounds (5.2), assists (6.2) and steals (1.5) per game so far this season