Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat: Odds, Picks & Predictions
On Monday night, the NBA grieved the devastating loss of legend and five-time champion Kobe Bryant.
Tuesday would have been the third meeting at the Staples Center this season between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Los Angeles Lakers, but it was postponed due to the tragic circumstances.
However, there is still plenty of action on the slate, including a meeting between two of the top teams in the East – the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat.
Here’s a look at today’s NBA games:
BET OF THE DAY:
Boston Celtics (+3) @ Miami Heat, 7:30 PM:
- The Celtics have a 27-19 ATS record against the Heat since 2010-11.
- Boston has won each of the last four matchups with Miami. (Stats courtesy of Statschecker).
The Celtics and Heat currently sit as the third and fourth seeds of the Eastern Conference. These teams met earlier in the season in Boston, with the Celtics coming out on top 112-93.
Boston (30-15) snapped a three-game winning streak on Sunday night in New Orleans 123-108.
Kemba Walker went off for a game-high 35 points with five rebounds, four assists and two steals. Gordon Hayward (23) and Jaylen Brown (20) both added 20-point efforts.
Miami (32-14) bounced back and continued to be unstoppable at home, taking down the Orlando Magic 113-92.
Bam Adebayo went off totaling a triple-double with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Duncan Robinson added a game-high 21 points knocking down 6-of-9 threes and Jimmy Butler scored 19 points with seven assists.
The Celtics have the second best ATS record in the NBA at (26-17-2).
Boston will be without Jayson Tatum and have to find a way on the road in one of the toughest places to win this season - Miami has a 21-2 home record.
Although they’ll be without Tatum, my expectation is this game will come down to the final possessions and Boston will be able to cover the spread (+3).
2u - Boston Celtics (+3) @ -110
Golden State Warriors @ Philadelphia 76ers (-13.5), 7:00 PM:
- The 76ers have an 11-5 ATS record in night games against the Warriors since 2011-12. (Stat courtesy of Statschecker).
Philadelphia (30-17) got back on track - and have won five of the last six games - after taking down the Los Angeles Lakers 108-91.
Ben Simmons played big on both ends, nearly putting together a triple-double totaling 28 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists and four steals. Tobias Harris added a team-high 29 points with eight rebounds.
Golden State (10-37) dropped a third straight game - and have lost 13 of the last 14 - following a 128-118 home loss against the Indiana Pacers.
The Warriors defense was nonexistent, allowing the Pacers to shoot 60 percent from three-point range and over 57 percent from the field.
D’Angelo Russell was the lone bright spot for Golden State, scoring a game-high 37 points with five assists and four rebounds.
These teams are polar opposites of each other when it comes to home/road records.
Philadelphia is one of the best home teams in the NBA with a 21-2 record and Golden State is one of the worst road NBA teams with a 3-20 record.
With that said, I’m rolling with 76ers at home to cover regardless of the heavy spread.
1u - Philadelphia 76ers (-13.5) @ -105
Phoenix Suns (+7) @ Dallas Mavericks, 8:30 PM:
- The Suns have a 9-3 ATS record against the Mavericks since 2016-17. (Stat courtesy of Statschecker).
Dallas (29-17) got back on track and outlasted the Oklahoma City Thunder 107-97.
Luka Doncic led the way for the Mavs, scoring a game-high 29 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. Kristaps Porzingis added his first double-double since the end of December, scoring 14 points with 10 rebounds.
Phoenix (19-27) stumbled on the road Sunday night by falling to the Memphis Grizzlies 114-109.
Devin Booker did all he could to carry the load for the Suns, scoring a game-high 36 points on 11-of-24 shooting. Deandre Ayton added a double-double with 17 points, 15 rebounds, three steals and two blocks.
When these teams met back in late November, the game was tied heading into the fourth quarter before Doncic would put the game away behind a 42-point effort to defeat the Suns 120-113.
This time around, I expect something similar in terms of this game being close coming down to the final quarter and minutes.
I’m riding with the unpredictable Suns getting the points to find a way to keep the Mavericks close.