The Boston Celtics are coming off a brilliant performance against the Philadelphia 76ers at TD Garden, which saw them win 112-88. They were brilliant in defense as a collective, while their offense was led by Jayson Tatum who scored 51 points that evening. The Heat have also been brilliant defensively since the start of the postseason, but the question is whether they can stop Tatum & Co. on Wednesday.
| Moneyline | Odds |
|---|---|
| Miami Heat | +265 |
| Boston Celtics | -333 |
| Spreads | Odds |
|---|---|
| Miami Heat +7.5 | -105 |
| Boston Celtics -7.5 | +105 |
| Totals | Odds |
|---|---|
| Over 220 | -110 |
| Under 220 | -110 |
When, Where, and How to Watch?
- Place: TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts
- Date: Wednesday, May 17, 2023
- Time: 8:30 PM
- How to Watch: TNT
The Celtics are Championship Material
Although they’ve had some dips in form this season, the Boston Celtics look really good coming to the Eastern Conference Finals. They were nothing short of brilliant in the final game of the semifinal series against the 79ers. These guys managed to keep the new NBA MVP Joel Embiid to only 15 points on Sunday afternoon.
Offensively, it was Jayson Tatum who held a masterclass in scoring, putting away 51 points – his best performance since the 2023 All-Star Game.
It was a fantastic display by the Celtics, although not many people can say they were surprised. We too predicted that they’re going to smash the 76ers and cover the spread. The reason? The Celtics are always superb when playing on their turf.
Does this mean they’re going to do great on Wednesday as well? We think so too, although the Heat mustn’t be underestimated.
Miami Heat Ready to Make It Hard for the Celtics
The Heat got to the Conference Finals after beating the NY Knicks 4-2 in the series. Although they were expected to win, there are a few takeaways from those six games. The main one is that they were brilliant in the defense.
In the final game of the series, they held the Knicks to just 92 points. The best thing is that they did even better in Game 3 when we saw them win 105-86. They definitely have the manpower to give the Celtics a run for their money, even in the game played at TD Garden.
Sure, playing on the road isn’t their strongest point, but they did beat Boston the last time they met in Massachusetts. It happened in the regular season, and they did it only after overtime. Still, that game sure is feeding them with confidence that they can do something similar again.
Miami Heat vs Boston Celtics Prediction
We expect to see both teams do great defensively, which is why “under 210 points” is our favorite pick. But who’s going to win the game? It would be crazy not to assume the Celtics are going to do it. After all, these guys have been nothing short of amazing on their turf. Still, we do doubt they’re going to cover the 8-point spread.
Picks: Boston Celtics to win but not cover the spread; under 210 points