Top-Seeded Celtics Asserting Dominance Over Heat
Heat vs Celtics Spreads: Boston Climbs to 15-Point Favorite
The NBA playoffs started with a bang for Boston, with the top-seeded Celtics overwhelming the eighth-seeded Miami Heat in Game 1. As the Heat prepare for Wednesday’s (7 p.m. ET) Game 2 at TD Garden, they will remain without superstar Jimmy Butler.
Boston is a 15-point favorite on the NBA point spread and -1450 on the moneyline, with Miami +850 to win outright. Meanwhile, the Over/Under is 207.5, a smidge below the Game 1 total of 208.
What can bettors expect? Read on as we break down both teams and assess the Heat vs Celtics spreads.
Eastern Conference First Round
Miami Heat vs Boston Celtics 
Location: TD Garden; Boston
Day/Time: Streaming: TNT98002E
Heat vs Celtics Betting Trends
The Miami Heat are 42-41 against the spread, including 6-4 over their last 10 games. Miami’s games have trended toward the Under, as the Heat are 36-49 against the Over/Under. Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics are 42-36-5 ATS, including 4-6 over their last 10 games. As for the Over/Under, the Celtics are 43-40.
Be sure to remember these betting trends when assessing the Heat vs Celtics spreads.
Road Mounting for Heat
No Jimmy Butler spells big problems for the Heat, who were outmanned and overmatched in their Game 1 loss. Boston asserted its dominance from the jump, sprinting out to a 17-2 lead in the first 3:34. The Celtics led by as many as 34 points and covered the 13-point spread with ease, leaving the Heat in a 1-0 hole.
Unfortunately for Miami, it will again be without Butler. The six-time All-Star — nicknamed “Playoff Jimmy” for his knack for raising his performance during the postseason — is expected to miss multiple weeks with an MCL sprain. Butler sustained the injury last Wednesday’s play-in loss to Philadelphia.
Rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. started in Butler’s place and had 16 points and four rebounds.
The Heat remain the biggest longshot on the board, +15000 to win the Eastern Conference and +30000 to win the NBA Finals. Those odds will likely only worsen unless they can answer the Celtics.
Miami has been strong defensively, Game 1 notwithstanding. During the regular season, it ranked third in the NBA in opponents’ scoring (108.4 points allowed/game) and 10th in defensive first-goal percentage (46.7). As such, the Heat have gone Under the total in 57.7% of their games, the second highest rate in league behind Denver (57.8%) per NBA scores and odds. Keep that in mind when analyzing the Heat vs Celtics spreads.
Boston Showcases its Superiority
It’s NBA title or bust for Boston. The Celtics were the league’s most dominant team during the regular season, winning 64 games to lock up the No. 1 seed in the East. They are now 38-4 at TD Garden, including 16-1 over their last 17 games.
After Game 1, the Celtics’ odds of winning the East grew from -200 to -230. They are also +120 favorites to win the NBA Finals, one of only two teams with better than 10/1 odds.
The Celtics showcased their elite depth in their series-opening victory, with Jayson Tatum turning in a triple-double (23 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists). Derrick White contributed 20 points and Kristaps Porzingis and Jaylen Brown finished with 18 and 17 points, respectively. The Celtics hit 22 3-pointers and shot 47.6% from the field, overwhelming the Heat both inside and out.
In many ways, it was a continuation of the regular season. The Celtics were the only team to rank top five in the NBA in both scoring offense (120.6 points/game) and scoring defense (109.2 points/game). They also led the league with a scoring differential of plus-11.3 points, a figure that will only continue to grow.
While the Celtics have covered in only four of their last 10 games, their 42-36-5 record ATS should ease the minds of some bettors. They’ve become close to a lock at home, especially against the injury-ravaged Heat.
Handicapping the Game
Boston swept Miami during the regular season, beating the Heat three times by an average of 15 points. After Game 1, its dominance over the Heat is only growing.
Without Butler, the Heat had no answer for Tatum. While Tatum was just 1 of 8 from 3-point range, he impacted the game in so many ways. His triple-double was the first of what Boston hopes will be several big performances in the playoffs.
Bam Adebayo (24 points) was productive, but the Heat will need more from the likes of Tyler Herro to keep this close. Without Butler, they simply don’t have enough offense in the mid-range to sustain the Celtics’ big runs.
As such, the Celtics seem like a pretty safe bet to go up 2-0 in the series.
Heat vs Celtics Betting Odds
For the NBA playoff predictions, betting analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
