2023 NBA playoffs: Odds, picks, betting tips for Celtics-Hawks Game 6 - ESPN

ESPN's fantasy basketball and basketball betting tips cheat sheet is your pregame destination for basketball betting predictions and our best intel and data, featuring ESPN's proprietary Basketball Power Index (BPI) to help you make smart fantasy and wagering decisions. NBA game odds for Thursday are provided by Caesars Sportsbook.

Save for the sweep of the Brooklyn Nets by the Philadelphia 76ers, the Eastern Conference's playoff series have been defined by strong play from the lower seeds. The Miami Heat just pulled off an epic upset of the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks, setting them up to face a New York Knicks team that handily knocked off the Cleveland Cavaliers. Which brings us to tonight's Game 6 between the Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks.

Boston enters the game as sizable road favorites seeking to close out Atlanta, while the total of 232 suggests there's plenty of room for strong offensive showings on both sides. Building lineups around Trae Young isn't a groundbreaking concept, while I'm also intrigued with builds that feature Dejounte Murray in a matchup that will demand strong two-way contributions from the star guard.

With just this one game on the schedule, it could prove rewarding to find unique paths to betting the contest. For Boston, one prop plays stand out; Marcus Smart's scoring prop of 12.5 points. Last season's Defensive Player of the Year has averaged 15.6 points on strong percentages in this series and has scored at least 10 in each appearance, suggesting this number is achievable in a game that should demand more than 30 minutes from Smart.

— Jim McCormick

Boston Celtics at Atlanta HawksGame 6: 8:30 p.m. ET, Celtics series 3-2

Records (Against the Spread) Celtics: 57-25 (45-36-1) Hawks: 41-41