Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat Best Bet: Can Derrick White Produce in Eastern Conference Finals Game 1?
The Boston Celtics face the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals. Can Derrick White produce in Game 1? Ben Rajavuori answers and shares his best bet.
Ben Rajavuori - May 17, 2023, 5:17 PM EDT
6 minBoston Celtics vs. Miami Heat Best Bet: Can Derrick White Produce in Eastern Conference Finals Game 1?
It feels like deja vu because the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat are meeting in the playoffs for the third time in four years. Since we saw these two last season in the playoffs, when the Celtics won in seven on the road, a lot still looks the same. It is Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown leading the way for the Celtics, and Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo leading the way for the Heat. Can the Heat avenge their loss last season and start the series off with a win tonight? I think they can, but I am more interested in looking at Derrick White's prop line tonight.
Celtics vs. Heat Game 1 Start Time and Where to Watch
- Date: Wednesday, May 17, 2023
- Time: 8:30 pm ET
- Where to Watch: TNT
Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat Game 1 Prediction
Derrick White's usage dropped in the Philadelphia 76ers series, as he got pulled from the starting lineup in Games 6 and 7, which worked excellently against the Sixers' adjustments with a bigger lineup. White had started all eleven games before coming off the bench in Game 6, but I expect his usage to tick back up against the Heat in this series. This series should look more like the series against the Atlanta Hawks, where White averaged 32.7 minutes and started every game. He may not start tonight, but his minutes should be in the 30s again after two very quiet games.
In the series against the Hawks, White was averaging 17.3 points per game and 3.8 rebounds per game for a combined line of 21.1 points-plus-rebounds per game. His line is 10.5 tonight. I think this is a major overreaction to White's limited usage over the last few games. That series was completely different against a different time of the team. With the Way the Heat play with a smaller lineup, White will be useful again, especially against Jimmy Butler when he is matched up with him.
In the four games against the Heat this season, White soared over this line of 10.5 tonight in all four, getting at least 16 points and rebounds in all four. His average was 19. This goes back to last season, too, where White has passed 10.5 points and rebounds in 10 of his 12 games against the Heat the last two seasons. In one of the misses, he only played 14 minutes with an injury. The Heat rank 26th in defense against point guards, so I expect Smart and White to have excellent games tonight.
After a less-than-favorable matchup against the Sixers, where White's usage dropped significantly, I expect White to become a useful part of the Celtics' game plan again in this series. I wouldn't be surprised to see him back in the starting rotation again, but even if he isn't, he should get great minutes off the bench since he can effectively guard Butler.
This is a great line on a player after seeing his minutes drop the last few games, and this is why I love the first game of the series when player prop lines are most vulnerable. White should pass this line on points alone, but I like combining it with rebounds since he can be aggressive on the boards. I also love the alternate line on White to score 15+ at +750.
Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat Game 1 Picks
- 2 Unit pick: Derrick White O10.5 Points + Rebounds -110 is currently the best odds. Click here to see which sportsbooks have the best odds
- .5 Unit Pick: Derrick White 15+ Points @ +750 is currently the best odds. Click here to see which sportsbooks have the best odds
NBA Odds
