Eastern Conference rivals link up when the No. 8 seed Miami Heat go on the road to play the No. 1 seed Boston Celtics in Game 2 on Wednesday. These two teams squared off three times in the regular season, with the Celtics taking all three games. Boston won Game 1 of this 2024 NBA playoffs series 114-94 on Sunday. It'll be an uphill climb for Miami as it 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 205.5. 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: 205.5 points
- Heat vs. Celtics money line: Boston -1429, Miami +793
- 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 Jaylen Brown has the offensive skillset to go off on any night. Brown is at his best when driving to the rim but is a streaky shooter on the outside. The three-time All-Star put up 23 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game in the 2023-24 campaign. In Boston's Game 1 victory, Brown had 17 points, eight boards, and three assists.
Center Kristaps Porzingis gives the Celtics a high-level shooter who can also score from the post. Porzingis' release is quick, and he uses his long arms to be a menace in the paint defensively. During the regular season, he averaged 20.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks. On Sunday versus the Heat, Porzingis finished with 18 points, four boards, two blocks, 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 211 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.
