Celtics vs Heat Betting Prediction and Odds May 23
Celtics vs Heat Predictions and Betting Preview
WagerTalk NBA handicapper Andy Lang offers his Boston Celtics vs Miami Heat preview for Monday, May 23. At the time of posting, the home Celtics are a 7-point favorite against the road Heat with the total sitting at 206 points.
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| Monday, May 23 | NBA Playoffs Betting Notes |
|---|---|
| Point Spread: | Boston Celtics -7 vs Miami Heat |
| Total: | 206 Points |
| Game Time: | 8:30pm ET / 5:30pm PT |
| Arena: | TD Garden in Boston, MA |
| TV: | ABC |
Celtics vs Heat Analysis
The Miami Heat look to extend a 2-1 series lead against the Celtics in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals from TD Garden in Boston.
The Celtics turned the ball over 24 times and Jayson Tatum only scored 10 points in a 109-103 Game 3 defeat. The Heat will have a chance to put a stranglehold on the series as they could go up 3-1 with the series shifting to South Beach for Game 5.
There are extensive injuries on both sides, most notably a questionable Jimmy Butler who says he intends to play. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 PM EST/5:30 PST.
Celtics in a Must Win
The Boston Celtics have been in this situation before and rose to the occasion. They fell behind 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2 last round against the Milwaukee Bucks and answered the bell each and every time with a victory.
Boston struggled in Game 3, falling behind 39-18 after the first quarter left them chasing throughout the game. Jaylen Brown led the team with 40 points, while Al Horford chipped in with 20 points of his own.
Jayson Tatum really struggled with only 10 points on 3 of 14 from the field. The Celtics actually shot decently with an 48.5% shooting percentage from the field.
The Celtics need to take care of the ball as you aren’t going to win many playoff games with 24 turnovers.
Jayson Tatum is probable with a minor shoulder injury and Marcus Smart and Robert Williams are both questionable with injuries of their own. However, this is the post-season so I fully expect everyone outside of Williams to play tonight.
Heat Overcome Hurdles of Their Own
After suffering a blowout loss in Game 2 and losing control of homecourt advantage the Heat came out of the gate on fire in Game 3 and built a 26 point halftime lead.
They withstood the loss of their best player Jimmy Butler after halftime and never trailed in a tough atmosphere on the road in Boston. The Heat are the best three-point shooting team in the league but won despite only shooting 33% from beyond the arc.
Miami relies heavily on their defense as they rank 4th in defensive scoring, while holding their opponents to only 105.5 points a game. The Heat will need to do a better job on the boards as they lost the battle 44-34 in Game 3.
Miami is loaded with injuries starting with Butler being questionable with a knee injury. Tyler Herro is already listed as out with a groin injury. Then the list of players trending towards playing including: Max Strus, Kyle Lowry, P.J. Tucker and Gabe Vincent.
Celtics vs Heat Prediction
The Boston Celtics are favored by 7 points with a total of 206 for Game 4 from Boston. The Celtics could easily be up 3-0 in this series as they have only lost two of 12 quarters in this series, yet they are down 2-1 in the series.
I fully expect a Celtics victory tonight but 7 points might be a lot to ask for, especially if the Heat are at full strength outside of Herro.
This was supposed to be a defensive series with Miami and Boston routinely holding opponents under 100 points, however neither team has done that once in three games. The Celtics are shooting hot as they are 55% from the field and 40% from long distance.
They scored 103 last game despite Tatum scoring 10 points and turning the ball over 24 times. While I do expect the Celts to do the heavy lifting I also think the Heat can do their part and score 100+ points themselves. Lets ride with the over 207 in this one tonight.
Prediction: Over 206
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NBA Stat Sheet
Each day, WagerTalk handicapper Ralph Michaels puts together his NBA Stat Sheet, which offers a head-to-head comparison for how teams are performing in a number of key areas heading into a game. Check out Monday’s sheet, with notes on tonight’s Celtics vs Heat playoff contest.
NBA Tip-Off Show
Join Joe Raineri and a rotating panel of professional handicappers for the NBA Tip-Off Show every Monday-Friday at 4:15pm ET / 1:15pm PT as we discuss tonight’s marquee games. Stay up-to-date on the latest NBA news, stats, analysis, and predictions with our panel of pro sports bettors as they preview all the playoff action, including this Celtics vs Heat clash.
WagerTalk NBA Odds Screen
WagerTalk’s live odds screen features up-to-the-minute lines from a variety of offshore and domestic sports books. Track the NBA point spreads, moneylines, first half lines and betting percentages for all NBA Playoff games, including this Celtics vs Heat showdown, from your desktop or phone.
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Meet the Author
Andy Lang has lived in Indianapolis his whole life, and like most people from the Hoosier State, he became fascinated with motor sports. That interest in motor sports turned into a desire to make money off the sport through fantasy contests and sports betting. Like most, he took his lumps when he first got started, but now he is one of the most respected NASCAR bettors in the industry. Andy has expanded that sports betting experience to become profitable in a number of other sports, transforming this interest from a side hobby to a major source of income.
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