Heat vs. Celtics Best Bets, Injury Updates & Game 2 Odds: NBA ECF, 5/19

Author:
Dylan Clemons
May 18, 2023 3:44 PM EDT

Can Miami be slowed down? Seeing the Heat take on the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals should not be a surprise as it seems to almost be a yearly occurrence each spring, but with Miami as the eighth seed after the play-in tournament, it was unexpected for this year. Not only are the Heat here, but they also took away home-court advantage on Wednesday with an impressive victory over the Celtics to begin the series.

What this means though, is that Game 2 will be even that much more exciting and critical as the Celtics look to salvage a game before heading to Miami. We have a lot to think about and consider heading into Friday’s game, but in what direction will things go? We do not want to say that it is a must-win game for the Celtics, but it is close, so what can we expect?

With that said, here is our Heat vs. Celtics best bets with odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook.

HEAT VS. CELTICS PREDICTIONS & BEST BET: Heat +9 (-110 at DraftKings Sportsbook)

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Injuries for Each Side After NBA Eastern Conference Finals Game 1

To say that this is a tough time of year in the NBA would be an understatement as the physical grind is insane. By the time we get to the Eastern Conference Finals with only two teams left in each conference, the stakes and stress are even higher. Things certainly become a balancing act as we want to see the best possible basketball on each side of the court.

From that standpoint, we are as good as we could be as Jimmy Butler continues to show no ill effects from the ankle injury he suffered in the last series against New York. Seeing Butler not listed on the Injury Report is a great thing as Miami continues to manage the absence of Tyler Herro and Victor Oladipo.

On the Boston side, they emerged with clean, or as clean as possible for this time of year, bill of health from Game 1. At this point, only Danilo Gallinari is listed on the injury report, and that should continue to not limit what the Celtics are looking to do.

Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics Predictions for Game 2

At some point, things have to truly catch up to the Heat right? I mean, after all, they were in the play-in tournament to even make the playoffs before dispatching Milwaukee while barely breaking a sweat.

Or maybe what we are seeing is the true talent and expectations of Miami and they just lulled us into a false sense of security in the regular season?

It could have been a rough start to the postseason for Miami as they traveled to Boston in what is always a tough place to play while facing a difficult opponent in the Celtics. Instead, Miami took control of the game in the third quarter by outsourcing their opponents by a margin of 46-25. It should not be a surprise that they were led by Jimmy Butler and his 35 points as the Heat continued their positive momentum.

Best Bets & Picks for Heat vs. Celtics Game 2 Featuring Miami +9

While we never want to diminish Butler’s accomplishments, this was truly a team victory for Miami as they shot 52% from behind the arc making 16 of 31 three-point attempts compared to 10 of 29 for Boston. Following along with the mantra of the best offense starts with defense, the Heat had 12 steals compared to six for Boston while the teams were relatively even in rebounds and assists.

Aside from Butler and 20 points out of Bam Adebayo, the Heat had balance offensively with four players (Gabe Vincent, Max Strus, Caleb Martin, and Kyle Lowry) each finishing with 15 points each. The play of this group has been huge for Miami and also has helped them make up for the absence of Tyler Herro.

While Jayson Tatum will always score close to 30 points, as he did on Wednesday, it was a good sign that the Heat were able to relatively keep him under control. While the expectation is that Boston will even up the series, these two teams are more closely matched than Miami might be getting credit for.

With that said, our best bet is on the heat +9 (-110) as they deserve more respect. You can simply bet just $5 on our Heat vs. Celtics best bets after you click here to join DraftKings Sportsbook. Regardless of the result, $150 worth of bonus bets will be all yours.

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DraftKings’ Latest Heat vs. Celtics Odds, Spreads & Betting Lines for Game 2

Our experts made their Heat vs. Celtics best bets with odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook. Boston -9 comes with -110 odds, while Miami +9 is priced at the same -110 odds.

That means an $11 wager on the Celtics will profit $10, as long as they win by at least eight points, while the same $11 bet on the Heat will profit $10 if they don’t lose by more than eight points or pull off the upset with an eight-point Miami victory resulting in a push.

The total (over/under) of 215.5 points is listed at -110 odds on both the over and under. Remember, a $5 bet on the Heat vs. Celtics or any other market, after you join DraftKings, will result in $150 in bonus bets no matter what.

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