Atlanta was able to pull off a convincing victory in what expected to be the least competitive series in the entire playoffs. If Boston was to sweep Atlanta while winning by 20 plus points every game, no one would be surprised. Atlanta however refused to belive that and thoroughly outplayed Boston in their 102-93 victory Saturday night. The Boston Celtics are a -9.5 point NBA betting favorite to beat the Atlanta Hawks tonight when they play in Atlanta at 8 PM ET.
The Hawks as we all know are a very talented young team and can definitely be a force if they stick 
together but the future is now. Joe Johnson, the team’s most valuable player has played adequately so far averaging over 17 points and 5 rebounds per game. The super athletic/unique Josh Smith and rookie sensation Al Horford have handled business as well as Horford is averaging a double-double while Smith has continued to light up the stat sheet in just about every category. The NBA betting odds TOTAL for the Boston Celtics at Atlanta Hawks game is at 189 points.
The Celtics big three have been playing well but Kevin Garnett has definitely led the way by averaging 22.3 points and 10 rebounds per game. Boston has also received excellent play from Rajon Rondo, who has quickly developed into a good player. If the Celtics want to continue to succeed especially later in the playoffs, they must receive better bench play. Atlanta still has their backs against the wall and needs a victory tonight to prove game three wasn’t a fluke.
PLAY: The Atlanta Hawks +9.5 points
