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The Boston Celtics will face the Miami Heat in Game 1 of the opening round of the NBA Playoffs.
The Celtics enter their matchup against the Heat as double-digit favorites. The Celtics are favored by 14 points. The matchup’s point total is set at 209.
Celtics vs. Heat Odds
Point Spread for Celtics vs. Heat
The spread for this matchup is set at 14 points, with sportsbooks listing the Celtics as the favorite.
Boston vs. Miami Moneyline
As for the moneyline, Boston has -1200 odds to win the game, while Miami is listed at +750 to claim victory.
Over/Under
Finally, the total for the game is set at 209 points.
Game Time and How to Watch
- When: Sunday, April 21, 2024 at 1:00 PM ET
- Where: TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts
- TV: ABC
Celtics vs. Heat Betting Trends
The Celtics have covered the spread in a game 42 times this season (42-36-4). This season, Boston has been favored 79 times and won 63, or 79.7%, of those games. This season, 43 of the Celtics’ games have gone over the point total.
The Heat have gone 40-39-3 against the spread this year. Miami has been an underdog in 35 games this season and has come away with the win 11 times (31.4%) in those contests. Heat games have finished with a final combined score above the over/under 35 times this season.
Celtics vs. Heat Key Players to Watch
Celtics
Jayson Tatum is posting 26.9 points, 4.9 assists and 8.1 boards per game. Jaylen Brown is averaging 23.0 points, 3.6 assists and 5.5 boards per game. Derrick White is putting up 15.2 points, 5.2 assists and 4.2 boards per game. Kristaps Porzingis’ numbers on the season are 20.1 points, 2.0 assists and 7.2 boards per game.
Heat
Bam Adebayo’s averages for the season are 19.3 points, 10.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists, making 52.1% of his shots from the field. Jaime Jaquez Jr. averages 11.9 points, 3.8 boards and 2.6 assists, making 48.9% of his shots from the floor. Duncan Robinson averages 12.9 points, 2.6 boards and 2.8 assists, making 45.0% of his shots from the floor and 39.5% from 3-point range, with 2.8 triples per contest. The Heat get 20.8 points per game from Tyler Herro, plus 5.3 boards and 4.5 assists.
What you need to know about the Celtics
When it comes to points, the Celtics are thriving at both ends of the court, as they rank second-best in the league in points scored (120.6 per game) and fifth-best in points allowed (109.2 per contest). The Celtics are top-five this season in rebounding, ranking second-best in the league with 46.3 rebounds per game. Meanwhile, they rank 14th with 43.3 rebounds allowed per contest. The Celtics are averaging 26.9 assists per game, which ranks them 14th in the NBA in 2023-24.
Boston posts 123.1 points per game in home games, compared to 118.0 points per game when playing on the road, a difference of 5.1 points per contest. Boston has been thriving in terms of three-point shooting this season, ranking best in the NBA in threes per game (16.5) and second-best in three-point percentage (38.8%). Boston is allowing 12.9 three-pointers per game this year (14th-ranked in NBA), and it is allowing a 35.2% three-point percentage (fourth-best).
The Celtics are 4-5-1 against the spread and 7-3 overall over their past 10 contests. In its past 10 contests, Boston has hit the over seven times. The Celtics’ offense has been less productive over their last 10 games, putting up 116.7 points a contest compared to the 120.6 they’ve averaged this year. Boston has been slightly better on the defensive end of the floor of late, allowing 106.8 points per game over its last 10 outings compared to the 109.2 it has surrendered per game this season.
What you need to know about the Heat
The Heat are the fifth-worst team in the NBA in points scored (110.1 per game) but third-best in points conceded (108.4). Miami grabs 42.3 rebounds per game and give up 42.8 boards, ranking 25th and 11th, respectively, in the league. At 25.8 assists per game, the Heat are 18th in the league.
In 2023-24 the Heat are scoring 4.0 more points per game at home (112.1) than on the road (108.1). Beyond the arc, the Heat are 18th in the NBA in 3-pointers made per game (12.5). They are 12th in 3-point percentage at 37.0%. In 2023-24 Miami is 16th in the NBA in 3-pointers conceded (13.0 per game) and fifth-best in defensive 3-point percentage (35.3%).
The Heat have gone 7-3 over their last 10 contests, with a 6-3-1 record against the spread in that span. Eight of Miami’s past 10 contests have gone over the total. In its previous 10 games, Miami is posting 113.1 points per contest, 3.0 more than its season average (110.1). Over their previous 10 games, the Heat are allowing 105.5 points per game, compared to their season average of 108.4 points allowed.
Celtics vs. Heat Prediction & Pick
Our prediction to win this contest is Celtics, and we expect that Heat will cover the spread (Celtics -14). Finally, we see the scoring in this one going over the posted total of 209 points.
How to bet Celtics vs. Heat
You can bet on Boston vs. Miami at every legal online sportsbook. For more college basketball odds, including moneylines, spreads, over/under totals, check out the latest NCAA lines as well as our guide to the best college basketball betting sites.
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