Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA

Miami Heat vs Boston Celtics Game 2: Eastern Conference Playoffs – First round

The Boston Celtics are the best team in the league at the moment and they are looking to grab another win when they host the Miami Heat in Game 2 at TD Garden on Wednesday.

Can the Heat survive without their leader?

The Miami Heat came into this series out of the play-in tournament, and last season they proved they could go all the way to the NBA Finals from that situation. Things look way more difficult at this point since they are facing the Boston Celtics in the opening round after eliminating them in seven games in the conference finals last season. Unfortunately for the Heat, Jimmy Butler is out of the lineup with an injury, and his absence was felt in the 114-94 loss in Game 1. Things were way worse for the Heat, as they were down by 32 points going into the last quarter. Bam Adebayo was the best player on the team with 24 points, and Delon Wright added 17 off the bench.

Is this the season for the Celtics?

The Boston Celtics were by far the best team in the league in the regular season, and they look like the favorites to go all the way to the championship. The Heat do not look like a serious contender in this series, and the Celtics made a statement that this is the year when they are attacking the championship. The Celtics made 22 three-pointers in Game 1 on 44.9% shooting. Jayson Tatum led the way with 23 points, and Derrick White added 20.

Betting Trends

The Celtics have won 16 of the last 17 home games. They are 13-7 ATS in the last 20 home games played on Wednesday. The Heat are 9-4 ATS in the last 13 games against the Celtics, 6-3 ATS in the last 9 games overall, and 11-4 ATS in the last 17 games played in April.

Prediction and Conclusion

The Boston Celtics are the team to beat in the Eastern Conference, and they proved that with a blowout win in Game 1 against the Miami Heat. The Celtics executed well, with six players scoring in double figures. The Heat survived the play-in tournament without Jimmy Butler, but the playoffs, and especially the Celtics, are something else. Nikola Jovic stepped in for Butler in the starting lineup, and despite the fact that he played well for a second-year player, Butler’s defense on Tatum and Brown cannot be covered by anyone. The Celtics have no plans to slow down and will have no mercy tonight, winning another one by covering the -14.5-point spread.