The Boston Celtics (30-15) visit the Miami Heat (32-14) at AmericanAirlines Arena for an 8 p.m. ET tip-off. We analyze Celtics-Heat odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.
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Celtics at Heat: Key injuries
Celtics
- SG Javonte Green (knee) questionable
- SF Jayson Tatum (groin) doubtful
- C Enes Kanter (hip) out
- C Robert Williams III (hip) out
Heat
- PG Kendrick Nunn (Achilles) questionable
- SF Justise Winslow (back) out
Celtics at Heat: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips
NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 2:30 p.m. ET.
Prediction
Celtics 108, Heat 103
Moneyline (ML)
Circumstances dictate backing the CELTICS (-106) Tuesday night against the Heat (-115). On one hand, Miami is tied with the Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers at 20-2 with the best home win/loss record in the NBA. On the other hand, Boston is 11-0 with a rest advantage with a plus-15.6 margin of victory and Miami is 3-5 on the second game of back-to-backs with a minus-9.8 point differential. Boston has won four straight games against Miami, including a 112-93 trouncing in their first meeting of the season.
They cancel each other out offensively—Miami averages 112.2 points per game and Boston averages 112.3 PPG—but the Celtics have the edge defensively, where they are ranked third in opponent PPG and fifth in defensive rating versus a Heat squad ranked 12th and 13th, respectively, in those same categories.
New to sports betting? Bet $106 on the Celtics to earn a profit of $100 if they win outright.
Line/Against the Spread (ATS)
Ehhh … let’s PASS on an against the spread wager. With two top-10 offensively rated basketball teams squaring off, there’s no point in taking Celtics +1.5 (-121). If the Heat win by one, my bad.
Over/Under (O/U)
I LEAN UNDER 218.5 (-106) for various reasons. Both teams play with a below-average tempo: Boston is ranked 17th in Pace and Miami is 26th. The Celtics have an Over/Under record of 4-7 when playing with a rest advantage and the O/U is 4-4 in Heat games when the playing on no rest.
Also, when you combine BetMGM‘s projection of this being a close game, the Celtics’ elite defense and the Heat’s assumed fatigue in this spot, a tightly contested, slow-paced game that plays to the Under is the most likely outcome.
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