The Boston Celtics will head South to face the Miami Heat in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. EDT at FTX Arena. Boston advanced after a seven-game series victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, blowing them out in Game 7 109-81.
Miami, on the other hand, was able to advance after defeating the Philadelphia 76ers in six games and should be well-rested headed into this one.
The Miami Heat are the favorites to win Game 1 as they come into this matchup as the -1.5 point favorite, with the point total at 203.5. Let’s dive into this matchup and see how these teams stack up.
Celtics Look to Avenge 2020 Conference Final Loss
After beating Milwaukee on Sunday, Boston will be without much rest as they have to go right into this series in Miami. They trounced the Bucks from start to finish in Game 7, winning 109-81 their last time out.
Grant Williams led the team with 27 points, Jayson Tatum had 23, Marcus Smart had a double-double with 11 points and ten rebounds, Jaylen Brown had 19, and Payton Pritchard chimed in with 14 points off the bench.
The goal for Boston on Tuesday should be to take the Heat’s home-court advantage and cast early doubt on their opponent. Throughout the playoffs, Jayson Tatum has exhibited superstardom, but there have also been games where he fades into the background.
The fact that Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown are showing up on both ends is fantastic news for the Celtics, and they could use another big game from Grant Williams, who led the Celtics with 27 points in their clinching victory over the Bucks.
The Celtics were defeated by the Heat in the conference finals in 2020 when they were in the NBA bubble. As a result, this is their chance to avenge that setback and advance to the NBA Finals for the first time in 12 years.
Heat Hope to Stay Hot at Home
Miami hasn’t played since Thursday, giving them some much-needed rest in order to recover from lingering ailments and devise a game plan for Boston; Jimmy Butler scored 32 points in Game 6 against Philadelphia, while Max Strus had a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds, PJ Tucker had 12 points, and Bam Adebayo had ten.
This series has to be about Jimmy Butler taking command of the Heat and leading them to victory over a Celtics club that has appeared invincible since the season ended.
Butler put the team on his back in the last series as he averaged over 27 points and seven rebounds per game. Miami boasts the league’s 18th-best scoring offense, and they get into trouble when opponents can routinely hang scores on them.
In terms of defensive efficiency, Miami is third in the league. So, while they may lack the offensive juggernaut that Milwaukee had with Giannis Antetokounmpo, they’ll go head-to-head with the Celtics on defense.
Celtics/Heat Betting Prediction
This series should be extremely closely matched, but Miami playing at home is a huge advantage to start out the series. Boston had to play Milwaukee for seven games, and despite having the opportunity to rest some starters in the fourth, they had to rush back into practice and come up with a game plan for Miami.
Meanwhile, the Heat had the most wins in the Eastern Conference at home, going 29-12 during the regular season, and they will be well-rested heading into this contest. Jimmy Butler is playing out of his mind, and the Heat are a perfect 6-0 at home during the playoffs. I expect the Heat to come out hot and overwhelm a tired and unprepared Boston team in Miami.
Betting Pick: Heat -1.5
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