The NBA Playoffs have been in full swing and we have been witnessing a great postseason window once again. In the Eastern Conference, two teams made it to the ultimate Conference stage as the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics have lived up to their rankings. In the first game of the series, the Miami Heat took care of the Boston Celtics beating them 118:107 as Jimmy Butler dipped 41 points and once again showed how hungry is to reach the Finals. Can the Heat get it done again or will Tatum deny them two wins in a row?
Bet on Miami Heat-Boston Celtics
Best bets on Heat vs Celtics
Handicap: Bookmakers from 22bet unsurprisingly believe that the Heat is the favorites here with the odds of 1.55. It is not a surprise considering how the Heat won Game 1 and did a great job of showering points, and the Celtics were surprised how much Butler was able to get going. I think the Heat will face more challenges this time around and if Marcus Smart returns, I do think the Celtics have a strong chance here to tie the matters. But I do think the Heat is the safe bet here overall, still, I see a close game. (Any Other Score- Win With Difference of Under 8 for 2.00)
Player Props: Bookmakers at bet365 predict odds of 1.83 for Tyler Herro getting over 15.5 Points (At least 16 Points). Herro has shot below 30% from the three-point line during the Playoffs and made just one of his five triple attempts in the last game. But he did have a strong outing, capitalizing on 18 points. I expect more of the same and believe he will go “over” here. (Player Props: Player Points: Tyler Herro Over 15.5 for 1.83)
Total: Bookmakers at 1xbet give the Total of Over 207.5 the odds of 1.965. The last game was rather high scoring with the total going to 225 as the Heat scored an incredible 118 points. It must be noted that the Celtics played without both Al Horford and Marcus Smart which is bound to impact the defensive output. I believe this time around the game will be low-scoring (Total Under 207.5 for 1.975)
Where to Watch Heat vs Celtics
This match is available on the NBA League Pass.
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Miami Heat: Butler has been on fire
Jimmy Butler has scored 30+ in six of the eleven games and he has been red-hot, more so than he was during the Regular Season. It is clear that the Wing has a championship on his mind and if not for him, I don’t see the Heat even making it thus far. The other impressive thing about the Heat is that all season long they had a deep bench and now we are seeing what they have cultivated as the Guard duo of Gabe Vincent and Max Strus combined for 28 points. Tyler Herro made seven of his 15 shots in the last game. However, more so than that, Bam Adebayo has been a terrific defensive player and he did a great job both inside and outside. The Heat’s defense has been tremendous and if the offense clicks like the last game, there is no stopping him.
Boston Celtics: They need Smart
Smart didn’t play in the last game and that surely hurt the team on the defensive end. Marcus is an incredible defender and he would have been helpful as a double man while tackling Butler. In this game, he will be back and this will surely help the team. On the other hand, Tatum remained red-hot and poured 29 points although his outside shot has been a bit off and he also committed a baffling 7 turnovers. One of the biggest factors was Robert Williams who nabbed 18 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Grant Williams will need to do more whereas Derrick White’s offense has been terrible these days. I believe if Smart returns here, the Celtics' effort will be much better. One other thing that the Celtics will need to do better in the second half of the season.
Heat vs Celtics: possible lineups
- Heat most likely starting five: PG: Gabe Vincent | SG: Max Strus | SF: Jimmy Butler | PF: PJ Tucker| C: Bam Adebayo;
- Key Bench Player: Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson;
- Celtics most likely starting five: PG: Marcus Smart | G: Jaylen Brown | SF: Jayson Tatum | Grant Williams | C: Robert Williams;
- Key Bench Players: Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, Daniel Theis.
