Boston Celtics vs Atlanta Hawks Prediction 1/17/2026 Today’s NBA Picks

The Boston Celtics pay a visit to the Atlanta Hawks at the State Farm Arena on Saturday night. Here’s a Boston Celtics vs Atlanta Hawks Prediction. This article will include a Boston Celtics vs Atlanta Hawks Pick.

Boston Celtics Betting Preview 

The Boston Celtics have been in pretty good form as they’ve won 10 of their last 14 games overall and they will be eager to keep it going after sneaking past the Heat in a 119-114 road win on Thursday. Anfernee Simons led the team with 39 points on 13 of 28 shooting off the bench, Jaylen Brown added 27 points with seven rebounds while Sam Hauser chipped in with 17 points.

As a team, the Celtics shot 45 percent from the field and 13 of 39 from the 3-point line as they struggled to get going and allowed 64 points in the first half to trail by as many as 19 points. But they chipped away at the deficit and made their move in the fourth quarter where they outscored the Heat by 36-21 to pull off the impressive comeback victory on the road. 

Atlanta Hawks Betting Preview 

Meanwhile, the Atlanta Hawks have been struggling lately as they’ve lost four of their last seven games overall. They will be hoping to avoid a third straight defeat after getting routed by the Trail Blazers in a 117-101 road defeat on Thursday. Onyeka Okongwu led the team with 26 points and nine rebounds on 10 of 21 shooting, CJ McCollum added 20 points with four assists off the bench while Jalen Johnson chipped in with 12 points, 11 rebounds and six assists.

As a team, the Hawks shot 43 percent from the field and 14 of 44 from the 3-point line as they outscored the Trail Blazers by 31-21 in the second quarter to take the lead after trailing by 11 points. However, they couldn’t maintain that pace, scoring just 14 points in the fourth quarter to allow the Trail Blazers to run away with it in the end. 

Why the Atlanta Hawks will win

• The underdogs have won four of the last five games between the Celtics and Hawks.
• The Celtics have lost five of their last six road games against Hawks teams that held a losing record.
• The Hawks have covered the spread in each of their last four games against the Celtics following a loss.
• The Celtics have failed to cover the spread in five of their last six games at State Farm Arena against Hawks teams that held a losing record.

Why the Boston Celtics will win

• The Celtics have won each of their last 14 Saturday night games against Eastern Conference opponents that held a losing record.
• The Hawks have lost each of their last five games against Eastern Conference opponents following a loss.
• The Celtics have covered the spread in eight of their last nine games against Southeast Division opponents.
• The Hawks have failed to cover the spread in four of their last five home games against Eastern Conference opponents.

Total Points Facts

• Each of the Celtics’ last five games as favorites following a road win have gone UNDER the total points line.
• Six of the Hawks’ last seven home games against the Celtics have gone OVER the total points line.

Atlanta Hawks Player Facts

• C.J. McCollum is one of only seven players in the league to have made 10+ threes in a game this season.
• Vit Krejci ranks 10th amongst qualified players for 3P% (43.7%) this season.

Boston Celtics Player Facts

• Jaylen Brown ranks 2nd in the Eastern Conference amongst qualified players for points per game (29.4) this season.
• Anfernee Simons is one of only four players to have scored 35+ points off the bench in a game this season.

Matchup/League Facts

• Nine different Hawks players have scored 25+ points in a game this season – equal-most in the league.
• The Hawks rank 2nd in the league for pace this season (102.3).
• The Celtics rank 30th in the league for free throws made per game this season (15.0).
• The Celtics rank 30th in the league for free throw attempts per game this season (18.9).

Boston Celtics vs Atlanta Hawks Prediction

The Celtics are still missing Jayson Tatum and Payton Pritchard, while the Hawks have ruled out Kristaps Porzingis and Zaccharie Risacher with Dyson Daniels listed as questionable. The Celtics are coming into this contest with plenty of momentum despite missing two key players, and they would’ve taken plenty of confidence from their thrilling comeback win over the Heat in their last outing.

In contrast, the Hawks have cooled off lately and are now coming into this one fresh off a blowout loss to the shorthanded Trail Blazers. The Celtics are certainly a little vulnerable at the moment, but they have continued to play well and I think they get the job done at the short line in this spot.

Peter Tran's Pick: Boston -3.5