The NBA regular season continues with games on Monday. The Miami Heat will hit the road and take on the Boston Celtics. It's time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Heat-Celtics prediction and pick.

These two teams have had somewhat similar starts to the season. The Miami Heat are 32-18 and have won three of their last four games. While the Boston Celtics are 26-25 and have also won three of their last four. This should be a solid game between two competitive teams.

Here are the Heat-Celtics NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.

NBA Odds: Heat-Celtics Odds

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Miami Heat: +4.5 (-112) 

Boston Celtics: -4.5 (-108)

Over: 208.5 (-108)

Under: 208.5 (-112)

Why The Heat Could Cover The Spread

The Miami Heat have had a good year so far. Like every other team in the league, they have had to battle through injuries and COVID absences, yet through it all, they have come out on top. Through the first half of the season, the Heat have managed to win 32 games and lose only 18. They have won three of their last four matches, but are coming off a tough four-point overtime loss to the Raptors. Miami will look to bounce back as they face another tough opponent on Monday. The Heat are more than capable of coming out ahead in this game they just need to be ready for a battle.

Miami just played in one of the craziest games of the season. The Heat-Raptors game went to triple OT, but Miami ultimately came up short. There are only ever a handful of games that match that intensity during the regular season and the Heat got the short end of the stick in this one. It's difficult to point to any single metric as the cause of their defeat, but if there was to be one thing they need to improve on it is ball security. The Heat turned over the ball 23 times in that game, compared to only 16 from Toronto. This 7 possession difference can easily be pointed to as a big reason for their loss.

Another big road block for Miami this season has been injuries. Currently the Heat have six players listed on their injury report. Only one of those players, Jimmy Butler, is listed as questionable for Monday's match. Both Kyle Lowry and Markieff Morris remain out and won't play on Monday. Injuries have been the main thing holding back this Heat team and they will continue to try and persevere on Monday. If Jimmy Butler plays they should at least be able to keep this game close.

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Why The Celtics Could Cover The Spread

The Boston Celtics have had an underwhelming year. Many people thought that this team could potentially top the league and make a deep run, but it has not played out that way so far. Through the first half of the season, the Celtics have only managed to win 26 games and have lost 25. However, they have won three of their last four matches and are coming off a 10-point victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. While they have struggled this season, it appears as if this Celtics team could be trending in the right direction. If they can continue to play well then they might be able to snatch a win over a vulnerable Heat team.

The Celtics were simply more efficient than the Pelicans in their last game. Boston made over 53% of their 81 shot attempts compared to New Orleans who made less than 44% of their 82 shots. All other metrics were basically even, but Boston was just the better offensive team. If the Celtics can maintain that efficiency against tougher opponents, then they could have a bright future. They just need to rise to the level of their competition and not come up short when it is most important.

Boston is one of the few teams in the league that is currently not dealing with major injuries or absences. The Celtics only have three players listed on their injury report. Of those three players one is listed as questionable and the other two are not recent additions. The Celtics have their core roster intact and it will be on full display on Monday. Expect the Celtics to come into this match ready to step up and get a big win.

Final Heat-Celtics Prediction & Pick

This is a tough pick. Whether or not Jimmy Butler plays could have serious implications on the outcome of this game. Regardless, the Heat are still dealing with numerous injuries and will not be at full health. The Celtics seem like they are finally getting going and they should be able to come out ahead in this match. With that said, pick Boston to win and cover and hope that Butler sits out.

FINAL HEAT-CELTICS PICK:  Boston Celtics -4.5 (-108)

FINAL HEAT-CELTICS SCORE PREDICTION: Celtics 110 – Heat 104