Even though Isaiah Thomas is predicted to fit up for the Celtics, his injury status has the Hawks as slight home faves.

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Tonight is as light an evening as you’ll get within the NBA Playoffs, with just one game on tap. But that contest certainly carries some weight, as it’s a first-round elimination game within the Eastern Conference.Atlanta Hawks at Boston Celtics - Open: Hawks -1.5; Move: Hawks -2

The Hawks lead this best-of-7 series 3-2 and will punch their ticket to the second one round, in the event that they can do what neither team has done in the course of the first five games – win at the road. Atlanta rolled in Game 5 at home Tuesday night, winning 110-83 as a 7.5-point favorite.

From a betting perspective, the larger news is the status of Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas, who sprained his left ankle early within the fourth quarter of Tuesday’s loss. (The Celtics were down by 31 at that point, causing many to wonder why he was even within the game.) Jason Simbal, vp of risk management for CG Technology, said because of Thomas’ uncertain status, his books opened the Hawks at -1.5.

Although it seems that Thomas will play, bettors have pushed the outlet line up a notch.

“The Hawks are at -2 now,” Simbal said Thursday morning from The Cosmopolitan, one of many CG books in Las Vegas. “Isaiah’s status throws somewhat of doubt there. That’s the logic behind the Hawks being somewhat a [road] favorite.”

Simbal added that bettors also are taking a look at the over, with the overall at 198 after opening at 197.

The Hawks also are -2 at online site BetNow, though the Celtics are slightly outdrawing the Hawks on tickets (53 percent to 47 percent).

“This series turned out to be as while we had thought it could be,” BetNow’s oddsmaker said. “If the road were to modify within the coming hours, we'd get some more action for the favorites, but we aren't anticipating anything major.”

BetNow wagerers are running opposite CG at the total.

“We are when you consider that our bettors are going for the under, however the trend remains to be very even,” Betnow’s oddsmaker said.

Patrick Everson is a Las Vegas-based senior writer for Covers. Follow him on Twitter: @Covers Vegas

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