NBA Play of the Day for February 7th, 2020

by Raju Byfield |
Feb 07, 2020

The Atlanta Hawks are in Boston tonight to take on the Celtics. The Hawks went bonkers at the trade deadline and completely overhauled their frontcourt. John Collins remains, but heâ€™ll soon be welcoming Clint Capela to the fold. They also added Dewayne Dedmon and Skal Labissiere. The Celtics decided against making any deadline moves, and one has to wonder if they possess the frontcourt defense to stop Giannis in the playoffs, or if they even have the talent to defeat the Toronto Raptors, the Miami Heat, or the Indiana Pacers in a seven-game series. The consensus point spread for this contest currently sits at -9, a number that presents potential value on both sides depending on who gets cleared for tonightâ€™s contest.

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Details

Opening Lines: The consensus point spread for this contest opened at -9 on the Boston Celtics. The consensus over/under total opened at 234 points. The point spread has held steady at -9. The over/under total has held steady at 234.
Current Line: Boston -9
O/U: 234
Location: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Start Time: 7:30 PM EST, Friday, February 7th
Last Meeting: Boston defeated Atlanta 125-113 â€“ February 3, 2020

Overview

The 14-38 Atlanta Hawks used the trade deadline to make significant upgrades to their frontcourt. They first participated in a blockbuster four-team deal that landed them Clint Capela (and Nene, who they subsequently waived). They then proceeded to trade Jabari Parker and Alex Len for former Hawk Dewayne Dedmon, who they lost to free agency this summer. Apparently, adding two impact bigs was not enough for Atlanta, as the team also acquired Skal Labissiere and cash in a salary dump. But they werenâ€™t done yet, and they also added guard Derrick Walton Jr. The new-look Hawks suddenly seem like one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, and one has to wonder if the Hawks believe they can move up the eight games needed to move into eighth place with just 30 games left.

Whether or not thatâ€™s their intent, they are now competitive enough on paper to cost them precious balls in the lottery if they end up missing the playoffs this season. With the 2020 NBA Draft being one of the weakest in recent memory, the team with the third-worst record in the NBA, and, as a result, the third-highest odds to win the number one pick, should be wary of winning a bunch of games, moving up in the East, and still missing the postseason. The Hawks will be hoping to have all of their new acquisitions suited up for tonight, but there has been no word yet on their statuses. Capela is dealing with an injury issue, and we will likely not know until shootaround, or just before game time, whether or not he will be able to make his debut for the Hawks. After winning just eight games in their first 40 contests of the season, the Hawks have won six of their last 12. They will be looking to make it seven out of 12 with an upset win over the Boston Celtics.

The 35-15 Boston Celtics have won five-straight contests, and as a result, decided to stand pat at the NBA trade deadline. Boston is an excellent 21-5 at home this season, but they might be without star swingman Jaylen Brown, who is day to day with an ankle sprain, and Kemba Walker, who has missed three-straight contests with left knee soreness. Marcus Smart is expected to return from his right quad contusion after missing his last two contests. Gordon Hayward is dealing with an injury issue of his own but has thus far been able to play through the ailment. Boston currently sits in third place in the Eastern Conference, and they have been one of the hottest teams in the NBA but remain stuck behind the white-hot Toronto Raptors. A Celtics win and a Raptors loss tonight would bring them within a half of a game of second place. Boston still has a chance to make it out of a weak Eastern Conference, but they are likely going to need to secure the second seed to do so. The East is as wide open as it has been since LeBron James first brought the Cleveland Cavaliers to the playoffs, and the Celtics just need to step up and take advantage of the situation.

Trends

Atlanta is 5-2 ATS in their last seven contests against Boston.
Over is 8-3-1 in the last 12 contests between these two teams.
Over is 4-1-1 in the last six contests between these two teams played in Boston.
Atlanta is 24-28 ATS on the season.
Atlanta is 9-18 ATS on the road this season.
Boston is 31-17-2 ATS on the season.
Boston is 16-9-1 ATS at home this season.
Atlanta is 5-5 ATS in their last 10 contests.
Atlanta is 4-11 ATS in their last 15 road contests.
Atlanta is 1-4 ATS in their last five contests as a favorite.
Atlanta is 1-4 ATS in their last five road contests against teams with winning home records.
Atlanta is 1-4 ATS in their last five contests against teams with winning records.
Boston is 8-2 ATS in their last 10 contests.
Boston is 5-0 ATS in their last five contests.
Boston is 5-0 ATS in their last five home contests.
Boston is 5-1 ATS in their last six contests against teams with a losing record.
Boston is 4-0 ATS in their last four home contests against teams with a losing road record.
Over is 6-1 in Atlantaâ€™s last seven contests.
Over is 4-1 in Atlantaâ€™s last five road contests.
Over is 7-1 in Atlantaâ€™s last eight contests against teams with a winning percentage above .600.
Under is 5-2 in Atlantaâ€™s last seven Friday contests.
Over is 7-3 in Bostonâ€™s last 10 contests against teams with losing records.
Under is 6-2 in Bostonâ€™s last eight contests.
Under is 6-2 in Bostonâ€™s last eight contests played on one day of rest.

Prop Bets

John Collins over 20.5 points (-110)
John Collins is averaging 19.7 points per game on the season and has been cooking in Atlantaâ€™s recent contests. He has topped 20.5 points in three straight contests and in four of his last five. Collins has averaged 24 points and 12 rebounds in those five contests, and he should be a strong bet to have another big game if Clint Capela is not active for tonightâ€™s contest. Collins has been even more impressive on the road this season, where he has averaged 21.9 points per game. He has cleared the total in six of his last nine games and is a sound over play even with Dewayne Dedmon expected to play tonight. Dedmon will be logging minutes at center, which will allow Collins to play his more natural four spot. If Capela does get cleared, however, the over will be the lean.

Bottom Line

The consensus point spread for this contest currently sits at -9. The lines for this contest took a while to get posted as Vegas waited to receive some sort of word regarding the statuses of all of the Hawksâ€™ new additions. There appears to be value on both sides for this contest, with the lean coming down to which players get cleared to play tonight. For Atlanta, Capela, Dedmon, Skal, and Walton Jr. are all questionable. Cam Reddish is expected to be sidelined for yet another contest. Trae Young, Deâ€™Andre Hunter, and Kevin Huerter are all dealing with injuries of their own, but are expected to play through their questionable tags. If Capela or Dedmon suit up with Young, Hunter, and Huerter all active, then the Hawks are the play for tonightâ€™s contest. They will become a two-unit play if Kemba Walker misses the contest. If Marcus Smart misses the contest, a 2.5 to three-unit play should be considered. Conversely, if Capela or Dedmon miss tonightâ€™s contest, the Boston Celtics will be the smarter selection. Boston has won six straight contests against Atlanta and should win straight up, but the Hawks will be a completely different animal when they have both Capela and Dedmon dressed. Pay careful attention to our live odds page to ensure you get the best line and juice once it is determined which team is healthy enough to be the lean. BetMGM currently offers the top line for Atlanta at +9.5, while FanDuel offers the best Celtics line at -9 at -110 odds.

Pick: Atlanta Hawks +9.5 (-115) or Boston Celtics -9 (-110)