The Boston Celtics (35-13) take on the Miami Heat (26-22) Tuesday night at the Miami-Dade Arena. Find out our overview of the NBA odds series featuring the Celtics-Heat prediction and pick.
This matchup features two of the winningest rosters in the league. Following two losses from the Nuggets and Thunder, the Cs have been red hot in their trips, winning nine in a row but that streak snapped when they visited the Orlando Magic. Boston is four games ahead of the second-seed Philadelphia 764ers.
Meanwhile, the Heat is still looking for a new win streak, as its last five games featured wins over the Bucks and twice against the Pelicans and losses to the Hawks and Mavericks. Miami is currently perched at the sixth spot of the Eastern Conference ladder, trailing the Celtics by nine games. They won the last overtime match in December, 120-116, where the Heat's five starters combined for 109 points.
Here are the Celtics-Heat NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Celtics-Heat Odds
Boston Celtics: +3 (-110)
Miami Heat: -3 (-110)
Over: 217.5 (-110)
Under: 217.5 (-110)
How To Watch Celtics vs. Heat
TV: TNT, NBC Sports
Stream: Amazon Prime, NBA Live Pass
Time: 7:30 PM ET/ 4:30 PM PT
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Celtics Could Cover The Spread
The Celtics have one of the deepest rosters in the NBA, with most of their players playing two-way defense. The return of Jaylen Brown to the Celtics establishes the team with a more formidable offensive arsenal. Brown puts up 26.9 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per night. Jayson Tatum leads the team with his 31-point average, while Malcolm Brogdon, Marcus Smart, and Derrick White follow suit with point averages of 14.3, 11.1, and 9.9, respectively. The Celtics also hold a league-leading 83.1 free throw percentage, while also having 44.7 rebounds, 26.7 assists, and 5.4 blocks per game, all falling in the top seven.
While the C's activity in the offense is impressive, they also hold their guard in the defensive aspect. They lead the league in net rating (+6.6), as well as the top four in opponent points off turnovers (15.4).
Despite posting these numbers, the Greens seemed to cool down in their recent loss against Orlando Magic. That game saw the absence of Robert Williams III, Marcus Smart, and Malcolm Brogdon, and the Celtics only put up 98 points. Brown and Tatum each made 26 points, while Sam Hauser and Derrick White contributed 13 and 11 points, respectively. Blake Griffin started for the sidelined Williams, but he only produce three points and three boards for the team.
On Tuesday, the same Celtics look to snatch another win at Miami. In addition to the White-Brown-Tatum-Horford-Griffin starting five, the Celtics also rely on bench sparks such as Payton Pritchard, Grant Williams, Luke Kornet, and Sam Hauser.
Why The Heat Could Cover The Spread
The Heat own the 3rd-worst pace (97.14) and 23rd-best assist ratio (59.9%). Despite these poor numbers, the Heat managed to survive this season and keep their record above .500.
Miami's activity on the offense has been made possible by their scoring trio. In 34 matches played, Jimmy Butler makes averages of 21.6 points, five assists, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.1 steals, and he's had at least 12 points in the last 10 games he played. Bam Adebayo is also an all-around contributor, putting up 21.4 points, 10.1 rebounds, three assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game. Tyler Herro has also been magnificent, producing 20.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 3.1 threes per game. Aside from these three, the Heat also has skilled point contributors in Kyle Lowry, Max Strus, Gabe Vincent, and Victor Oladipo.
Nikola Jovic, Duncan Robinson, and Omer Yurtseven might be unavailable for Tuesday's matchup, but Erik Spoelstra's squad is capable of pulling themselves together. Miami's last seven games at home resulted to six victories, and that sole loss was only a one-point shortage versus the Brooklyn Nets.
Final Celtics-Heat Prediction & Pick
Both teams enter this contest fairly warmed up. The Heat is riding on a four-game win streak at home while the Celtics look to pull another series of wins after their nine-game winning streak was snapped by the Magic.
Despite both teams having injured role players, the Heat looks to be a more productive team. The Celtics will surely miss the defensive contributions of Time Lord and the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, as well as Brogdon's offensive output. With the fans backing them in the arena, the Heat are primed to win this ball game.
Final Celtics-Heat Prediction & Pick: Miami Heat -3 (-110)
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