The Eastern Conference finals comes down to a best-of-three affair, beginning with a big Game 5 Wednesday night in Miami. The Heat and Celtics split the first two games of this series on Miami’s home court, then split the next two games in Boston. Now the teams will bounce from city to city for the last two or three games.
The Celtics didn’t own home-court advantage for this series but began as -175 favorites to win it, with the Heat getting +155 as the underdogs. Now the updated NBA futures market chalks Boston at -185 to advance to the NBA Finals, with Miami getting +155.
Here’s how we homeworked this Game 5, with our free NBA playoffs betting pick.
NBA Playoffs Betting Odds
The NBA playoffs betting lines opened Boston as a one-point road favorite for Game 5, with an over/under of right around 203.5. Early betting action then bumped the Celtics half a point to -1.5.
Celtics-Heat Game 5 Betting Preview
Miami won the opener of this Eastern Conference finals last Tuesday 118-107, but Boston won Game 2 last Thursday 127-102. The teams then moved up to Beantown, where the Heat won Game 3 Saturday 109-103 before the Celtics evened things up with a 102-82 Game 4 romp Monday night.
So this series is tied at two games apiece.
Boston bounced out to an 18-1 lead Monday night, as Miami missed its first 14 shots from the field, and the game was basically over from there. The Celtics led by 18 after one quarter, by 24 at the half, and by 32 in the third quarter, breezing home for the easy victory and cover at -6.5.
Boston only shot 40 percent from the floor Monday but held the Heat to just 33 percent FG shooting and out-rebounded Miami 60-39.
Boston has now won nine of the 16 quarters played in this series so far and tied four others. The Heat have only won three quarters in this series.
With Monday’s victory/cover, Boston is now 10-5 SU, 9-5-1 ATS this postseason.
With Monday’s loss, Miami is now 10-5 SU and 9-6 ATS this postseason.
The Heat finished two games ahead of the Celtics in the regular-season standings, but Boston took the season series from Miami two games to one. So the Celtics are 4-3, both SU and ATS against the Heat this season.
On the injury front Boston G Marcus Smart, this season’s League Defensive Player of the Year, has been in and out of this series with a sore ankle and is listed as questionable for Wednesday night. Meanwhile, Miami F Jimmy Butler apparently will play through a sore knee Wednesday, while G Tyler Herro is questionable with a sore quad.
- Get more details: Boston at Miami Game 5 Betting Stats
NBA Playoffs Betting Trends
- Miami is 8-1 SU, 7-2 ATS at home this postseason.
- Boston is 5-3 SU, 5-2-1 ATS on the road this postseason.
Totals Report
- The unders are 8-7 in Celtics games this postseason.
- The unders are 10-5 in Heat games this postseason.
- The overs are 3-1 in this series, with the games averaging 213 total points against an average O/U of 206.
