Celtics vs. Hawks Thursday NBA playoffs Game 6 odds, props, trends: Heavy action on Boston to end series, but also on Trae Young for another big game

Wednesday was a great night for the Boston Celtics and they didn't even play. That's because Eastern Conference top-seeded Milwaukee was shockingly eliminated from the playoffs, meaning the Celtics now would have home-court advantage against any team in the league the rest of the way. Boston looks to finish off the Hawks in Game 6 of their series tonight in Atlanta, and there's heavy action on the Celtics at -6.5 at BetMGM – but also on Atlanta star Trae Young to keep rolling offensively. It's the only NBA game Thursday opposite the NFL Draft. Click here for model picks.

At the book, 70% of the bets and 69% of the money are on the Celtics against the spread. On the total of 232.5, 68% of the bets and 63% of the money are on the Over. Atlanta, +240 on the moneyline to force a Game 7 on Sunday in Boston, is taking 55% of bets the and 48% of the money.

There are no injury concerns tonight, and the Hawks will welcome back guard Dejounte Murray from a one-game suspension. He had been the team's best player in the series, averaging 25.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 2.25 steals per game in the first four. He was only the second player in franchise playoff history in to have four straight 20/5/5 playoff games. Lenny Wilkens had five in a row in 1967.

All eyes will surely be on Young, though, after his epic 30-foot 3-pointer with 2.1 seconds remaining stunned the Celtics 119-117 in Game 5. Boston was a 13-point favorite and led by 13 in the fourth before collapsing. Atlanta closed the game on a 23-8 run and Young scored his team's final 14 points, becoming the fifth player since the 1998 playoffs to score at least his club's final 14 in a game. Young's points tied for the most consecutive points scored to end a playoff game when facing elimination and are the most consecutive points scored by a player on the winning team in an elimination game. He finished with 38 points, his third in a row with at least 32.

Young is set at Over/Under 27.5 points tonight and taking a heavy Over lean at -125. The other two most popular props are on teammate Bogdan Bogdanovic Over 11.5 points (-115) and Boston's Jaylen Brown Over 26.5 (-120). I'm somewhat surprised at the Bogdanovic prop being so heavily wagered as he will return to the bench with Murray back. Bogdanovic had 18 points in Game 5 but topped 11.5 just twice in the first four games as a reserve.

The Celtics are now -165 favorites to win the East and +165 to win their first NBA title since 2008 after losing in last year's Finals to Golden State. The exact 2023 Finals outcome favorite is Boston over Phoenix at +550. Jayson Tatum is also the +275 NBA Finals MVP favorite.

The Philadelphia 76ers await the winner of this series. Had Boston won Tuesday, it would have hosted Philly in Game 1 of the East semis Saturday, but now that series will start Monday, even if Atlanta forces a Game 7.

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