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The Hawks and the Celtics will square off in Game 2 of this Eastern Conference first round playoff series, in Atlanta. The Hawks won the first match at home 102-101 and are holding a 1-0 advantage in the series.
Atlanta (4th seed) will try to make it 2-0 before going back to Boston, which will be a huge achievement in what was always expected to be a very tight series. The Hawks were in total control in Game 1, leading by 17 points at halftime, but a Boston rally in the second half almost denied Atlanta the win. The hosts will definitely try to avoid a repeat of that and might be able to do it considering that Boston has some problems coming into this Game 2.
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Boston (5th seed) was very solid in the first match, as expected and were very close to claiming a win. However, the 1 point loss might end up being a decisive one in this series. Boston lost Avery Bradley in the 4th quarter in that match and he will not play again in this first round. It`s a huge blow, as Bradley is the second best scorer and best perimeter defender on this team. To make things even worse, he was the one guy on this Boston team that could stop Atlanta’s Jeff Teague. Additionally, Kelly Olynik is also questionable for this match.
I had Boston winning the series and I still think they might pull it off, as they play well as a team and don`t rely heavily on individual players. However, losing Avery Bradley is a huge blow, especially as it comes in a position where Celtics badly needed a player like him against Atlanta’s Jeff Teague. Teague was on fire in Game 1 after Bradley got injured and this could well happen again. Olynik not being at 100% is another problem for Boston.
Bookies opened with Atlanta Hawks as a 6 point spread favorite and the odds have started dropping once they came out, mainly due to Boston’s injuries. I believe the Celtics will need some time to get used to playing without Bradley and I think Atlanta will be able to capitalize today in order to claim a crucial 2-0 lead.
All in all, my tip on this one is Atlanta Hawks to win and cover the 6 point spread in the process. Prediction: Atlanta Hawks – Boston Celtics 110 – 100.
Pick: ATL Hawks -6
Odds: 1.86 @ Sbobet
Stake: 7
Possible profit: 6.02
Event date: 19 April
