Celtics-Hawks: How to Watch, Odds, Predictions, More

Boston makes its NBA Cup debut on Tuesday.

Feb 7, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) tries to steal the ball from Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images / Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

The 9-2 Boston Celtics make their 2024 Emirates NBA Cup debut on Tuesday. The defending league champs will kick off their first matchup in the league's second annual in-season tournament against the lowly Atlanta Hawks (4-7).

Read More: Two Key Starters' Status Revealed for NBA Cup Matchup with Hawks

Four-time All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum, who had been questionable to play through a left ankle sprain, and current starting center Al Horford (Kristaps Porzingis, of course, remains out as he rehabilitates from left posterior tibialis tendon surgery), whose fate was unclear due to a left big toe sprain, have both been given the green light to suit up for Boston. Two-way players JD Davison and Anton Watson are with the club's NBAGL affiliate in Maine. Third-year shooting guard Jaden Springer is out as he continues to manage his left knee tendinopathy.

On the Hawks side, All-Star Atlanta point guard Trae Young is the headlining absence. The Hawks' leading scorer will be on the shelf with right Achilles tendinitis. Reserve guard Bogdan Bogdanovic (right hamstring tendinopathy) and backup forward De'Andre Hunter (personal reasons) are the other two major absences. Shooting guard Kobe Bufkin (right shoulder sublaxation), point gaurd Vit Krejci (right adductor strain) and center Cody Zeller are all also shelved, as is two-way player Seth Lundy.

How to Watch

The action will tip off at 7 p.m. ET in TD Garden, and can be watched locally via NBC Sports Boston (and on NBA League Pass beyond Beantown).

Odds

Thanks to their relative health and some key Hawks injuries, the Celtics are 15-point favorites to claim victory, per The Action Network.

Predictions

The Hawks haven't exactly been setting the world on fire. After flipping one-time All-Star combo guard Dejounte Murray this offseason in exchange for what the club's front office thought was more depth, the team has instead struggled to find much of an identity outside of a heliocentric offense around Young. With Young out, it seems like bright young hope Jalen Johnson will take on more of the team's scoring burden, as Atlanta head coach Quin Snyder looks to emphasize a more egalitarian approach.

But they'll be going up against a Boston Celtics club that will be mostly healthy, at home, and out for blood against one of the East's more mediocre squads. Look for the Celtics to blow the projected spread out of the water.

More

The Celtics and Hawks both occupy Group C, along with the undefeated (12-0) Cleveland Cavaliers, the chippy Chicago Bulls, and the tanking Washington Wizards. Shockingly, FanDuel projects the Celtics to have the best shot of winning the whole bag (+400 odds), just ahead of the sub-.500 New York Knicks (+950 odds). In a group that also includes the Cavaliers, Boston will have its work cut out for it.

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