Boston has punched its ticket to a second straight Eastern Conference Finals, and now the game is set, it’s Heat vs. Celtics for a trip to the NBA Finals.
Stars like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have paved the way for the Celtics’ playoff success. Against the 76ers, Tatum scored an NBA record 51 points in Game 7, and Brown is averaging 24.6 points per game. The Celtics are the current favorites to win the NBA title at +100 on FOX Bet.
Boston faces an unlikely opponent in Miami. The Heat have cruised through the postseason, defeating the Milwaukee Bucks in five games and the New York Knicks in six. Miami, led by Jimmy “Buckets” Butler, was able to cause all this havoc in the NBA East as the eighth seed. The Heat are currently the fourth best odds to win the Larry O’Brien Trophy at +1400.
Will Miami keep the hot streak going? Or will the Celtics cool Butler & Co.? Here’s a look at the series from a betting perspective, with odds a Bet FOX:
Heat at Celtics, 8:30 p.m. ET Friday, TNT (Game 2)
Distribution of points: Celtics -11 (Celtics favored to win by 11+ points, otherwise heat coverage)
Moneyline: Celtics -556 favorites to win (bet $10 to win $11.80 total); Heat +333 underdogs to win (bet $10 to win $43.30 total)
Total Over/Under Score: 214.5 points scored by the two teams together
Miami Heat
MIA
+11.0
+333
o214.5
Boston Celtics
BOS
-11.0
-556
u214.5
[RELATED: Warriors confident but future murky]
SERIES WINNER
Celtics: -227 (bet $10 to win $14.41 total)
Heat: +180 (bet $10 to win $28 total)
[RELATED: Lakers healthy, happy]
Jimmy Butler or Jayson Tatum: Who do you trust more?
Emmanuel Acho, Joy Taylor, Ric Bucher and Cuttino Mobley debate who they trust more: Jimmy Butler or Jayson Tatum.
Series schedule and scores (all times at 8:30 p.m. ET, TNT TV):
Game 1: Heat 123, Celtics 116
Game 2: Heat on the Celtics, Friday
Game 3: Celtics at Heat, Sunday
Game 4: Celtics at Heat, Tuesday
Game 5: Heat at Celtics, May 25 *
Game 6: Celtics at Heat, May 27 *
Game 7: Heat at Celtics, May 29 *
* = if necessary
Jimmy Butler, Heat enter ECF with smallest piece of NBA title pie
Nick Wright, Chris Broussard and Kevin Wildes reveal the latest edition of Nick’s NBA Title Pie.
Pick through the FOX sports betting analyst Jason McIntyre:
We have another bubble rematch! This is the third time the two have met in the playoffs in the last four years. Miami is significantly outmatched here, with Tyler Herro not expected to play in the series. Yes, Miami averaged six players in double figures against the Knicks, but keeping up with New York’s lackluster offense is one thing. Boston, on the other hand, is an offensive juggernaut. Yes, the Celtics were pushed to seven games by Philadelphia, but two of those games were lucky last-minute wins for the 76ers. That streak should never have been seven.
I can see a scenario where Boston wipes the floor with Miami in five, and a sweep isn’t out of the question either. The problem, of course, is that Jimmy Butler is the most clutch player on the court; apologies to my favorite Celtics player of all time, Jayson Tatum. I hate to bet against him.
But can someone other than Butler make a move for Miami? Is Duncan Robinson playable? What can you expect from 36-year-old Kyle Lowry? Heat Culture is a wonderful thing, but Caleb Martin, Max Strus and Gabe Vincent won’t get the open looks they had against the Knicks because Boston won’t need to double-team anyone. Marcus Smart is a capable defender for Butler. The combination of Al Horford and Robert Williams that shut down Joel Embiid in the last two games will be formidable against Kevin Love and Bam Adebayo.
Miami has made a big run, beating Giannis Antetokounmpo and then Jalen Brunson, but Boston will be the most complete team the Heat have faced. Miami has a huge coaching advantage with Erik Spoelstra, but lacks the cornerbacks to hang with Jaylen Brown.
In two of their three playoff wins last year against Boston, Butler scored 41 points and 47 points. That’s a heavy load for him again, especially considering the ankle injury against New York.
I’m going with the Celtics to win this series in five.
Pick: Celtics to win series 4-1 (+210 on FOX Bet, bet $10 to win $31 total)
Play on FOX Super 6 every week for your chance to win thousands of dollars every week. Just download the Super 6 app and make your choices today!
Get more from the National Basketball Association Follow your favorites for information on games, news and more