Heat vs Celtics Betting Prediction and Odds May 17

Heat vs Celtics Predictions and Betting Preview

WagerTalk NBA handicapper Andy Lang offers his Miami Heat vs Boston Celtics preview for Tuesday, May 17. At the time of posting, the home Heat are a 2-point favorite against the road Celtics with the total sitting at 204 points.

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Tuesday, May 17	NBA Betting Notes
Point Spread:	Miami Heat -2 vs Boston Celtics
Total:	204 Points
Game Time:	8:45pm ET / 5:45pm PT
Arena:	FTX Arena in Miami, FL
TV:	ESPN

Heat vs Celtics Analysis

The Boston Celtics take their talents to South Beach for Game One of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat on Tuesday night.

The Heat handled their business against the Philadelphia 76ers in six games, while the Celtics needed 7 games to finish off the reigning champion Milwaukee Bucks.

Boston won two of three head-to-head matchups against Miami during the regular season. Tip off is scheduled for 8:30 PM EST from Miami.

Rest or Rust For Heat?

The Miami Heat have not played since last Thursday, giving them some time to deal with nagging injuries and gameplan for the Eastern Conference Finals.

Jimmy Butler led the way for his team in Game 6 with 32 points, while Max Strus had a 20 point 11 rebound double double. The Heat finished the regular season 53-29 and were dominant at home with a 29-12 record.

The went 1-2 against the Celtics this season, but did win the most recent game 106-98 in March. The Heat are dealing with a multitude of injuries, first and foremost being Kyle Lowry who is already officially listed as out for Game 1.

P.J. Tucker, Max Strus, Caleb Martin and Gabe Vincent are all listed as questionable but should be able to play on Tuesday night.

Quick Turnaround For Celtics

The Boston Celtics will be rushed into Game 1 of the Eastern after finishing off the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 7 on Sunday.

Due to their series lasting seven games, they will not get any extra rest before traveling to Miami. They dominated the Bucks from start to finish, resulting in a 109-81 runaway victory.

Jayson Tatum had 23 points, while Marcus Smart had an 11 point 10 rebound double double. But the player of the game had to be Grant Williams, who had a career high 27 points on 10 of 22 from the field including a staggering 7 for 18 from long distance.

The Celtics went 23-18 on the road this season. With news of Robert Williams not having a minutes restriction, the Celtics come into this game fully healthy.

Heat vs Celtics Prediction

The Miami Heat are small two point favorites with a total set at 204. This series should be evenly matched, a seven game series would be no surprise.

However in Game 1, the rest will truly benefit the Miami Heat. Boston had to push hard for all seven games in a physical series against the defending champs.

Both these teams have been great against the spread, Miami ranks 3rd at 53-39-1 ATS, while Boston ranks 4th at 51-39-3. In their last head-to-head meeting the Heat seemed to have a defensive gameplan of stopping the supporting cast and forcing Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown into bad shots.

While I do think the Celtics ultimately win this series, the Heat have an undeniable rest advantage with extra time to gameplan. I will back a small play on the Heat in Game 1.

Speaking of the series, the Celtics are favored with a -185 money line I expect a seven game series so I wouldn’t lay games to lower the juice. The smartest play is to take the Celtics at plus money to win the series if they do lose Game 1.

I did this last series, getting a +145 number after they lost Game 3 against Milwaukee and fell behind 2-1. If the Celtics do prevail in Game 1, we may have lost our shot but I would back them if you can get plus money value at any point in the series.

Prediction: Miami Heat -2
(If Miami wins take Celtics to win series at plus money)

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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 Tuesday’s sheet, with notes on tonight’s Heat vs Celtics 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 Heat vs Celtics 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 both of Tuesday’s NBA Playoff games, including this Heat vs Celtics 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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