David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA
Boston Celtics vs Miami Heat Game 3: Eastern Conference Playoffs – First round
The Miami Heat stunned the Boston Celtics on the road and the top team in the league face a major challenge when they visit the Kaseya Center on Saturday.
Is this the season for the Celtics?
The Boston Celtics were by far the best team in the league in the regular season, but as usual, the Heta are a real challenge for them. Boston dominated the first game of the series, winning 114-94. However, they did not build on that, as things did not go in their favor in the next one. The Celtics were in deficit most of the game, and Jaylen Brown’s 33 and Jayson Tatum’s 28 points were not enough.
The Heat should not be underestimated
The Miami Heat came into this series out of the play-in tournament, and they lost Jimmy Butler in that process. Going against the team with the best regular season record did not look promising at all, but they managed to steal Game 2 on the road, winning 111-101. The Heat made 23 three-pointers on 53% shooting, led by Tyler Herro, who scored 24 points. Cody Martin and Bam Adebayo added 21 points each.
Betting Trends
Miami has covered the spread in 10 of the last 14 games against Boston. The Heat are 7-3 ATS in the last 10 games overall and 0-7 ATS in the last 7 games played on Saturday. The Celtics are 1-4 ATS in the last five games on the road.
Prediction and Conclusion
The Miami Heat stunned the Boston Celtics in Game 2 in TD Garden, even though they are still without Jimmy Butler. Making 23 three-pointers is the Heat’s playoff record, but it is hard to believe that they will repeat a similar performance. The Celtics are the best when they are wounded, and they will prove that once again tonight. Despite the last loss, Boston is the best team in the league, and they have certainly not forgotten the elimination in the last conference finals. Boston will not allow itself to go into another rhole against the Heat and will dominate tonight with a win by a -9.5-point spread.
