Before we dive into game bets, just a gentle reminder: No matter who you prefer, the series price is usually pretty tempting on either side in a 3-2 setting. By this point, all underdogs have been taken seriously, so there's value on both sides. Right now, the Miami Heat are sitting at around -200 to win the Eastern Conference over the Boston Celtics. If you believe in them, remember, they only need to win only one of the next two games. If you're firmly in the camp that Boston is a meaningfully superior team, then asking them to win two in a row for underdog money is a pretty reasonable value.
We're sticking with game lines in today's best bets, but at this point in the postseason, remember that you can find just about anything.
All lines via William Hill Sportsbook
Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat: Celtics -3.5
Miami is winning this series by games, but Boston is by points. The Celtics have outscored the Heat by 13 across the five total games, losing three close ones while winning two others somewhat comfortably. The latter is more sustainable than the former. It seems unlikely, based on the tenor of this series, that the Heat blow out the Celtics. The Celtics have already done that to the Heat. If it's close? The Heat might have an advantage, but it's still something close to a toss-up.
Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat: Over 214
Zone defenses aren't Flawless. Much of their value relies on the element of surprise. In a regular-season game or an isolated playoff stint, that makes them dangerous. Teams aren't used to them. But Boston has now had five games to adjust, and by the end of Game 5, it seemed like they'd figured out Miami's defense. Erik Spoelstra will have some tweaks for Game 6, but unless he has something drastic planned, expect offense to be a bigger feature in this game, especially if Miami's shooting regresses towards the mean (7-for-36 on 3's is not remotely sustainable).
Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat: Jayson Tatum Over 4 Assists
Tatum has not had below four assists in any game in this series. He had six in Game 5 and eight in Game 3, Boston's two wins, and that makes sense given Boston's success attacking the Miami zone in those games. If Tatum drives to the basket, there will almost always be an open shooter somewhere on the perimeter for him to hit against a 2-3 zone. Assuming Miami doesn't drastically change its defense for this game, Tatum should be able to rack up some assists.
