NBA Playoffs Best Bets, Picks & Predictions: Saturday (Celtics vs. Heat)
In the first three games of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Miami Heat had all of the momentum. But that momentum has shifted over the last week.
The Boston Celtics were down 3-0 to the Miami Heat in the series. Fans and critics wanted head coach Joe Mazzulla fired and thought Jayson Tatum was too inconsistent to lead his team to another NBA Finals.
Now, the Celtics are just one game away from forcing a Game 7 in this series. Game 7 would be in Boston, with the Celtics heavily favored.
We might just be witnessing history after all.
Can the Celtics claw back and make the series 3-3 in Miami?
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Today’s Best NBA Bets
Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook. All wagers are 1 unit
Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat
The Miami Heat actually out-shot the Boston Celtics in Game 5. But despite that, the Celtics still won the game 110-97.
Boston took 39 threes and drained 16 of them, shooting 41% from downtown. Meanwhile. the Heat only took 23 threes and nailed nine of them. Miami rarely saw the foul line and turned the ball over six more times. Because of that, the Celtics got one more shot attempt than the Heat in the game.
Earlier in the series, the Celtics couldn’t buy a bucket from long-range. Now they’re red hot. It’s hard to know if it’ll continue on the road. But the Celtics surely have all the momentum and confidence heading into tonight’s game.
In their last road game against the Heat, the Celtics shot 40% from three on 45 attempts. The Heat got to the foul line at a ridiculous rate, but the Celtics, again, won the turnover battle and shot extremely well from downtown.
The Heat has labeled Gabe Vincent as questionable for tonight’s game. He missed Game 5 with an ankle injury and could potentially miss tonight’s game too. Vincent has averaged 17.5 points per game through four games in the Eastern Conference Finals and was missed in Game 5 for the Heat.
Vincent had been shooting nearly 58% from the field and hit 50% from downtown before his injury. His status is a big deal. He even led all scorers in Game 3 with 29 points.
But right now, the Celtics are moving the ball extremely well. They’re shooting and playing with confidence. They’ve been earning more assists, giving up fewer turnovers, winning most games on the glass, and shooting at a much higher percentage from three-point range.
Therefore, I’ll back the Celtics to earn another win and cover the small spread tonight.
Bet: Celtics -2.5 (-110)
Also make sure to take a look at our other best bets for Saturday:
- MLB Same Game Parlay Odds, Picks & Predictions
- NBA Playoffs Player Prop Odds, Picks & Predictions
- NBA PrizePicks Player Predictions
- NHL Playoffs Player Prop Odds, Picks & Predictions
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