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Hawks vs. Celtics Tuesday Game 5 NBA playoffs odds, props, trends: Bettors backing Atlanta, Bogdan Bogdanovic for big night in place of Dejounte Murray

The Hawks will be without the suspended Dejounte Murray tonight in Boston.

Matt Severance

The second-seeded Boston Celtics can advance to an Eastern Conference semifinals matchup against archrival Philadelphia with a win Tuesday night in Game 5 of their first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks. The Celtics are 13.5-point home favorites, but bettors at BetMGM are taking all those points and are in on a scoring prop for Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic, who projects to start for the suspended Dejounte Murray. Click here for model picks.

Surely because of the big number, only 41% of the bets and 46% of the money are on Celtics against the spread so far. The opening total of 232.5 has dropped to 229.5 with 54% of the bets and 64% of the money on the Under. Atlanta, +625 on the moneyline, +625 is taking 69% of the bets and 45% of the money.

Since 2005, double-digit favorites in the NBA playoffs have gone 77-56-4 (58%) ATS.

Murray was suspended for Game 5 after making contact with and verbally abusing an official at the end of Game 4 in Atlanta. He has been arguably the best player in the series, averaging 25.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 2.3 steals per game. Atlanta was 3-5 without him during the regular season, including a 120-114 loss in Boston on April 9 in the regular-season finale. Both teams rested starters then.

"Dejounte, not just in this series, but over the course of the year, has been a real important part of what our team does. We've got to understand that contributions are going to have to come from a number of different players across the board. I don't think you can plug and play in a situation like this. Everybody's got to do their part," Atlanta coach Quin Snyder said.

Over the last two games, Atlanta is averaging 125.5 points, the first time since the 1986 NBA playoffs the Hawks have scored at least 120 points in two straight postseason contests -- but those were both at home. They averaged 102.5 PPG in the opening two losses in Boston and are set at over/under 107.5 tonight.

The most-wagered player prop so far for this game is Bogdanovic Over 16.5 points at -110. He's averaging 12.5 PPG in the series with a high of 18 in Game 2. That's also when Bogdanovic played a series-high 33 minutes, and he could be looking at that type of workload here with Murray sidelined.

The other popular player props are on Boston's Jayson Tatum Over 30.5 points at -115 and Jaylen Brown over 26.5 at -110. Tatum is averaging 28.5 PPG in the series and Brown 23.3. Both scored 31 in Game 4. It marked the first time that Brown and Tatum each scored 30 or more points in a playoff game, a feat they have accomplished 22 times in the regular season. The Celtics are 22-1 when both stars score 30 points, including the playoffs. That .957 win rate is the best among duos all-time, minimum 20 games.

Should Boston win tonight, its series against Philadelphia will start Saturday; it will not start until Monday if Atlanta forces the first-round series to at least a sixth game. It behooves the Celtics to get that series started ASAP, as 76ers center Joel Embiid is dealing with a knee injury and the less rest Embiid gets the better for Boston. Embiid has been diagnosed with a sprained LCL and may have to wear a brace for Round 2 but figures to play whenever the opener is. 

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