Head coach Joe Mazzulla has proven to be the perfect fit as Celtics head coach. The trio of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Kristaps Porzingis has the look of a champion. But championships are earned and not given. Boston is a heavy favorite in the 2024 NBA Playoffs. The Boston Celtics were far and away the best NBA betting club this season. Now comes the hard part. The Celtics rank with the Los Angeles Lakers as the two most storied franchises in the NBA. But their last NBA championship was in 2008.
2024 NBA Playoffs First Round Series Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat
| Date and Time: | Wednesday, April 24, 2024, 7 PM ET. |
|---|---|
| Location: | TD Garden, Boston, MA. |
| TV Coverage: | TNT |
| Team | Spread | Total | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heat | +14½ -110 | 204½ -110 | +810 |  |
| Celtics | -14½ -110 | 204½ -110 | -1240 | |
| ||||
Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat Series Schedule
- Game 1: Sun., April 21 @ Boston 114, Miami 94
- Game 2: Wed., April 24 @ Boston (7 p.m. ET, TNT)
- Game 3: Sat., April 27 @ Miami (6 p.m. ET, TNT)
- Game 4: Mon., April 29 @ Miami (6 p.m. ET, TNT)
- Game 5: Wed., May 1 @ Boston (TBD)*
- Game 6: Fri., May 3 @ Miami (TBD)*
- Game 7: Sun., May 5 @ Boston (TBD)*
*if necessary
Boston Celtics Team Overview
The Boston Celtics are 64-18 straight up, 41-36-5 against the spread, and 42-38-2 over/under the total. Late on, Boston has covered two out of their last eight games. The Celtics have gone over the sports betting total in four of its previous five matchups. Boston is 1st in the Eastern Conference playoff standings. Boston is 14 games ahead of the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
Overall, Boston has NBA metrics of 2nd for scoring offense, 8th for field goal percentage, 2nd for 3-point field goal percentage, 7th for free throw percentage, and 2nd for offensive rebounding. Meanwhile, on defense, the Celtics have NBA metrics of 5th for scoring defense, 2nd for field goal percentage permitted, 4th for 3-point field goal percentage allowed, and 14th for defensive rebounding.
SF Jayson Tatum leads the Celtics with 26.9 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. Tatum was the third overall pick of the 2017 NBA Draft out of Duke. Also, Tatum is a 5-time NBA All-Star.
SG Jaylen Brown is averaging 23.0 points per game. Additionally, he is a 3-time NBA All-Star and was the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year at Cal. Brown was a McDonald’s All-American.
C Kristaps Porzingis averages 20.1 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. Porzingis was an NBA All-Star in 2018. Previously, he was a key asset on the Dallas Mavericks and Washington Wizards.
Miami Heat Team Overview
The Miami Heat are 46-36 straight up, 40-40-2 against the spread, and 35-47 over/under the NBA betting total. Late on, Miami has covered four out of their last six games. The Heat have gone over the total in nine of its previous ten matchups. Miami is 8th in the Eastern Conference playoff standings. In the Eastern Conference playoff race, Miami is 18 games behind the Boston Celtics.
In sum, Miami has NBA metrics of 26th for scoring offense, 22nd for field goal percentage, 12th for 3-point field goal percentage, 5th for free throw percentage, and 26th for offensive rebounding. While on defense, the Heat have NBA metrics of 3rd for scoring defense, 10th for field goal percentage permitted, 5th for 3-point field goal percentage allowed, and 11th for defensive rebounding.
Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat SBG Free Pick
In this situation, Miami is completely outclassed.
Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat SBG Best Bet: Boston Celtics.