Heat vs. Celtics Prediction & Odds
The eighth-seeded Miami Heat head to Boston to take on the 2nd-seeded Celtics on TNT Wednesday night at 8:30 PM ET in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals in the 2023 NBA Playoffs.
Can the Celtics cover the 8-point spread as home favorites?
The series is tied 0-0.
The Miami Heat went 44-38 in the regular season. They are 9-4 in the play-in and playoffs this year. The Heat are 39-53-3 ATS on the season.
The Boston Celtics went 57-25 in the regular season. They are 8-5 in the playoffs so far. The Celtics are 54-41 ATS on the year.
Game Matchup & Betting Odds
533 Miami Heat (+8) at 534 Boston Celtics (-8); O/U 210.5
8:30 PM ET, Wednesday, May 17, 2023
TD Garden, Boston, MA
Heat vs. Celtics Public Betting Information
Our NBA Public Betting Information page indicates that 81% of public bettors are currently backing the Heat +8 in this contest. Note that these numbers are subject to change, so be sure to check the link to receive the most up-to-date public betting data.
Miami Heat DFS Spin
Miami guards Victor Oladipo and Tyler Herro will both miss Game 1 of this series. Oladipo suffered a season-ending knee injury and Herro has a broken right hand. Miami backup center Cody Zeller is also on the injury report for Wednesday. He’s questionable due to an illness. Zeller is averaging 2.6 points in 9.1 minutes per game in 10 playoff contests this year.
Miami Heat point guard Kyle Lowry played well against the New York Knicks in the second round. Lowry averaged 12.2 points and 5.7 assists per game in that series while shooting 35.7% from deep. He has a lot of useful playoff experience, and that could lead to him having some DFS value on Wednesday.
Boston Celtics DFS Spin
Boston small forward Jayson Tatum is coming off of one of the best Game 7’s anyone has ever had. In Boston’s 112-88 blowout win over Philadelphia on Sunday, Tatum poured in 51 points on 17 of 28 shooting from the field. He’s played 5 spectacular quarters in a row and could be worth the steep price in DFS on Wednesday.
Boston center Al Horford might be an excellent cost-effective option at center for DFS in Game 1 of this series. Horford contributes across multiple categories. To wit, the veteran out of Florida is averaging 6.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.3 steals, 2.2 blocks, and 1.5 made three-pointers per game. If you need multi-category production from your center spot in DFS, Al Horford will likely be a solid choice.
Heat vs. Celtics NBA Betting Trends
Miami is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games following an outright win.
Miami is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following an ATS loss.
Miami is 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games overall.
Miami is 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games against a team with a winning percentage over .600.
Heat vs. Celtics NBA Prediction
Miami continues to excel in these playoffs. The Heat dispatched the Bucks in 5 games in round 1 and took care of the Knicks in 6 games in round two. The combination of star forward Jimmy Butler and head coach Erik Spoelstra has worked wonders across the first two rounds for Miami.
A few betting trends bolster Miami’s case for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The Heat have been strong on the road against good teams of late as they are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 road games against a team with a winning home record. Miami is also 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game. Finally, Miami has been exceptional when playing after an extended rest period. The Heat are 39-17 ATS in their last 56 games playing on 3 or more days’ rest. For those reasons, I believe that Miami will keep this game competitive and cover the number on the road in Game 1 of this series on Wednesday.
NBA BETTING PREDICTION: MIAMI HEAT +8
