With the backdrop of a three-game winning streak, the Miami Heat will square off with the Boston Celtics on Wednesday. Goran Dragic (groin) will miss the game for Miami, while Boston will be without Gordon Hayward (hand) and potentially Marcus Smart (abdomen). Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m. ET at the TD Garden. Sportsbooks list the Celtics as six-point home favorites, up slightly from the opener, while the Over-Under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 213 in the latest Celtics vs. Heat odds. Before you make any Heat vs. Celtics picks and NBA predictions, see what SportsLine's advanced computer model has to say.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times, and last season it returned a whopping $4,280 on its top-rated NBA spread and money line picks. It's already returned over $1,400 in profit on all its top-rated NBA picks during the 2019-20 season and enters Week 7 on a blistering 15-3 run on all top-rated NBA against the spread picks. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns and consistently beaten NBA odds.
Now, the model has set its sights on Heat vs. Celtics. We can tell you the model is leaning Over, and it also says one side of the spread hits in over 50 percent of simulations. See it at SportsLine right now. Here are the latest NBA betting lines for Heat vs. Celtics.
- Heat vs. Celtics spread: Celtics -6
- Heat vs. Celtics over-under: 213 points
- Heat vs. Celtics money line: Celtics -242, Heat +201
- MIA: 13-3 record with Jimmy Butler in the lineup
- BOS: 7-0 at home this season
The model knows that the Heat are playing well, with three straight victories and back-to-back road wins against quality opponents. Miami's peripheral numbers aren't quite as strong as their 15-5 record would indicate, but the Heat are a top-10 team on offense and defense. Jimmy Butler is the centerpiece on both ends, averaging 19.0 points, 6.7 assists and 6.0 rebounds while providing high-end wing defense.
Just because Miami has several edges doesn't mean it'll cover the Celtics vs. Heat spread on Wednesday.
The model also understands that Boston has been a juggernaut at home this season. The Celtics have a sparkling 116.8 offensive rating in their own building. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown give the Celtics multiple weapons to combat Butler on the perimeter and, at the point of attack, Kemba Walker is the best point guard on the floor on the offensive end. Defensively, the Celtics have been surprisingly pesky this season, landing at No. 5 in the NBA in overall defensive rating.
So who wins Heat vs. Celtics? And which side of the spread can you bank on in over 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the Heat vs. Celtics spread you need to jump on Wednesday, all from the model on a 15-3 run on NBA picks, and find out.
