The Miami Heat blew another chance to win the Eastern Conference last Thursday. They lost 110-97 to the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. They’ve got another chance on Saturday, May 27, this time on their own turf.
Boston Celtics vs Miami Heat Odds
| Spread | Odds |
|---|---|
| Boston Celtics -2.5 | -110 |
| Miami Heat +2.5 | -110 |
| Moneyline | Odds |
|---|---|
| Boston Celtics | -114 |
| Miami Heat | +120 |
| Points Total | Odds |
|---|---|
| Over 211 | -110 |
| Under 211 | -110 |
*Odds taken from bet365 on Friday, May 26, 2023.
When, Where, and How to Watch?
- Place: Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida
- Date: Saturday, May 27, 2023
- Time: 8:30 PM
- How to Watch: TNT
Boston Celtics Want to Keep Their Good Run Going
After going down 3-0, the Boston Celtics really switched to top gear. They destroyed the Heat 116-99 in Game 4 in Miami. Then, the series went to Boston, where they won again. This time, it was 110-97 on the scoreline.
Jayson Tatum was their standout player in all of those games, but what’s interesting is that the Celtics really looked like a collective on the court. They did brilliantly both in offense and defense.
Another proof of Boston’s great team play is that in Game 5, the Celtics had four different players score 20+ points. Meanwhile, none of Miami’s players went over 20. It’s not just that they seemed out of focus, but they really couldn’t do much with Boston’s players being super-busy when defending.
Tatum recorded eight defensive rebounds; Al Horford had just two fewer. Then, there’s Marcus Smart who made five steals.
It’s Now or Never for the Miami Heat
The Heat blew up two shots at the Eastern Conference title already. They’ve got another chance this Saturday, but their confidence probably isn’t at a top level. On the bright side, they’ll have their fans at Kaseya Center to cheer them on.
The last time they played there, they lost to Boston, but they did win Game 3 there. Actually, they demolished the Celtics in that game 128-102. Gabe Vincent was brilliant in that game, but the Heat guard is currently struggling with an ankle injury and is uncertain about Saturday’s game.
On the bright side, the Heat’s roster is packed with amazing players, even though they weren’t great in the last two games. Jimmy Butler, for instance, had a very quiet game on Thursday, scoring just 14 points – his worst number in 20 games.
Miami’s center Bam Adebayo was also fairly disappointing in the last couple of games, failing to record double-figure rebounds, which are his speciality. If the Heat are going to make it 4-2, all of the aforementioned players will have to step up.
Celtics vs Heat Prediction
This is going to be one very close game, which can go either way. In fact, we think the winner will win by just a couple of points. We also think there won’t be too many points in total, so “under” should hit easily.
Picks: Miami Heat +2.5; under 211 points
