Heat vs Celtics Betting Tips: Can Boston Deliver as a Sizable Favorite?

NBA Odds Laying Tons of Points on Celtics

In what was supposed to be a much-anticipated rematch, the Boston Celtics are expected to confidently beat the Miami Heat. Boston is favored by at least eight points (-280 on the moneyline) thanks to star swingman Jimmy Butler being absent for Miami. The Heat are already struggling on the betting lines so is this a straightforward bet for the Celtics as Heat vs Celtics betting tips expect?

Game Information

Miami is Heating Up But Still Cold

Whether it’s on the basketball court or the betting lines, the Miami Heat have been pretty cold this NBA season. Just as the team is picking up – 4-1-1 against the spread (ATS) in its last six games – injuries continue to plague it. Now, Butler (knee) will miss time with Miami in the middle of a tough four-game road trip.

“No, he hasn’t been out that long,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said after Tuesday’s practice. “He’s been able to work, that’s the most important thing. Actually, the most important thing is he’s getting better. He’s getting healthier. He’s feeling better. He works his conditioning, he works his rhythm, all of that. We’ll just see how it plays out.”

Miami is 7-13-1 ATS this season making them hard to trust when it comes to NBA picks and parlays. However, as a sizable underdog, this team might be worth a look. The Heat are 3-3-0 ATS as a road underdog. This team upset Atlanta as a +4 underdog the other night and covered against Minnesota at +8.5.

However, against Boston, the Heat may have a tougher time. Miami has covered just once in their last five meetings versus the Celtics. The Heat were underdogs in all of these games and they had Butler. He leads the team in scoring (20.9 points) and the team is better by 16.7 points when he is on the floor.

With Butler missing, not only will Miami have a harder time against Boston but the totals could keep going ‘under’. Four of Miami’s last six games have. As far as Heat vs Celtics betting tips, expect a low-scoring game with Miami struggling.

Celtics Keep Painting Boston Green

On the other end is Boston, a team that is unbelievably hot right now. The Celtics lead the league in offense (120.9), net rating (9.0), and wins (17). This team already owns wins over Philadelphia, Memphis, and Atlanta. Boston just dropped 140 points on Charlotte to improve to a 72.7 percent cover rate at home (8-3-0), the second-best in the league.

“We’re playing really well, moving the ball, trusting each other,” said Boston Celtics point guard Malcolm Brogdon after the Celtics’ win over Charlotte. “(We) trust in Joe (Mazzulla) and what he’s put in for us.”

Indeed, under Mazzulla, the Celtics are routinely scoring in the 120s. This is doubly true at home where Boston is averaging a whopping 124.6 points. It’s why they are 10-1 at the TD Garden with totals going over 81 percent of the time (9-2-0). The Celtics should also be a favorite to come out of the East per their NBA conference odds.

Jayson Tatum is also a frontrunner for the MVP award. The forward is averaging career bests in scoring (30.8) and shooting (48.1 percent). His 8.7 turnover percent is also a career-high. With Tatum, the Celtics will handle business against any team including Miami. As an additional Heat vs Celtics betting tip, a prop bet on Tatum to score over 30 points since he averages 27.6 in his last five against Miami.

“I think it’s time for us to start talking about Jayson Tatum as a leading candidate for league MVP honors,” ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith said. “He’s averaging 30 on better than 45 percent shooting.

He’s putting on a show on a night-in-night-out basis. Jaylen Brown is no joke either, but Jayson Tatum is clearly the star of this basketball team, they’re clearly the best team in the Eastern Conference right now.”

Both fans and bettors will agree as Boston keeps making both sides proud (and wealthy).
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