The NBA regular season has concluded and the postseason is underway! This Eastern Conference playoff game features a matchup between the #1 Boston Celtics and the #8 Miami Heat. The Heat pulled off a stunning upset in Game 2, claiming the home-court advantage in this series.
Before Betting on Celtics vs Heat
Boston struggled offensively in their loss to the Heat on Wednesday. Most notable was Kristaps Porzingis, who shot 1-9 from the field, totaling just 6 points in 30 minutes and a team-low -32. The Celtics need him to bounce back to have any chance of avoiding a catastrophic collapse. His matchup against defensive player of the year finalist Bam Adebayo will continue to be crucial.
On the other side of the ball, Boston also had some troubles on defense. They allowed Miami to set a new franchise record with 23 three pointers made. Some of that can be attributed to a fluke performance, but the Celtics can certainly do a better job of covering the perimeter. They need to limit the amount of open looks from deep in Game 3 to avoid a repeat performance.
The Heat picked up a crucial win in Game 2. They avoided going down 2-0, and now hold the home-court advantage in this series. Each game moving forward is massive for Miami, who cannot afford to give up ground on a stacked Celtics team. One potential boost would be the return of Jimmy Butler, who suffered an MCL injury in Miami’s play-in game. Unfortunately, he has been ruled out for this entire series.
Without Butler, the Heat face an uphill battle to win this series. Despite having taken over the home-court advantage, they are unlikely to repeat a historic shooting night. Scoring a modest 111 points despite shooting 53.5% from beyond the arc illustrates the lack of depth in Miami’s offense. They’ll need to find a second gear to keep up with the Celtics offensively on a consistent basis.
Celtics vs Heat Offshore Odds
Miami played at their best in Game 2, while the Celtics had a subpar performance. If those trends continue, the Heat may very well pull off the upset and advance. On the other hand, Boston still has a notable advantage as the better team in a long series. It’s likely the Celtics will wear down the Heat, and take advantage of Butler’s absence. Expect a bounce back game from Boston in Game 3.
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