The No. 1 seed Boston Celtics are hosting the No. 8 seed Miami Heat in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference playoff series on Wednesday. The Celtics were the best team in the East all season long and that carried over into the 2024 NBA playoffs. In Game 1, Boston blew out the Heat 114-94. It’ll be an uphill climb for Miami as they will be without Jimmy Butler (knee) and Terry Rozier (neck).
Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET at TD Garden in Boston. The Celtics are 14.5-point favorites in the latest Heat vs. Celtics odds from SportsLine consensus. The over/under for total points is 203. Before making any Celtics vs. Heat picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from the proven computer simulation model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model enters the second week of the 2024 NBA playoffs on a sizzling 90-58 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning more than $2,800. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Celtics vs. Heat and just locked in its picks and NBA playoff predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Heat vs. Celtics:
- Heat vs. Celtics spread: Boston -14.5
- Heat vs. Celtics over/under: 203 points
- Heat vs. Celtics money line: Boston -1250, Miami +771
- MIA: 25-15-3 ATS this season on the road
- BOS: 9-2 ATS this season when favored by -13 to -16
- Heat vs. Celtics picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why the Celtics can cover
Forward Jayson Tatum is the main offensive weapon for the Celtics. During the regular season, he led the team in scoring (26.9) and rebounds (8.1). In Game 1, he posted a triple-double of 23 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.
Guard Derrick White got off to a hot start this series. The Colorado product has a smooth jumper to space the floor and handles the rock as a facilitator. White averaged 15.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game this season. In his last outing, he notched 20 points, four assists and made four 3-pointers. See which team to pick here.
Why the Heat can cover
Center Bam Adebayo is an impactful two-way threat. Adebayo has the athleticism to defend multiple positions at a high level but goes down on the offensive end and scores at a high rate. The Kentucky product led the team in rebounds (10.4) with 19.3 points per game this season. Adebayo finished with a team-high 24 points, six boards and three assists in the Game 1 loss.
Guard Tyler Herro is Miami’s best pure scorer. Herro has a crisp jumper to let it fly from beyond the arc and will put the ball on the deck to attack the lane too. The 24-year-old also finds ways to get his teammates involved. In 42 regular season games, Herro tallied 20.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. On April 14 against the Raptors, he totaled 17 points, six boards and eight assists. See which team to pick here.
How to make Heat vs. Celtics picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning Over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 212 points. The model also says one side hits in over 50% of simulations. You can only get the model’s pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Celtics vs. Heat, and which side hits in over 50% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Celtics vs. Heat spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that has returned more than $2,800 on its NBA picks this season, and find out.
