Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat Prediction: Can Heat Slow Down Jayson Tatum, Celtics ECF Game 1?
The Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics meet Wednesday night for a highly anticipated matchup. Can the Heat slow down Jayson Tatum and the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals Game 1? Matt McCuen breaks it down.
Matt McCuen - May 17, 2023, 11:48 AM EDT
5 minBoston Celtics vs. Miami Heat Prediction: Can Heat Slow Down Jayson Tatum, Celtics ECF Game 1?
The Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics will clash from TD Garden on Wednesday night for a highly anticipated matchup. The winner of this series will meet up with either the Los Angeles Lakers or the Denver Nuggets for an opportunity to be crowned as a champion.
This series is a rematch from a season ago in the Eastern Conference Finals. Boston was victorious last time, but this is also a rematch of the bubble when the Heat took down the Celtics and advanced to the Finals, eventually losing to the Lakers.
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
Miami being in this position is a heck of an accomplishment in itself. This was a team that nearly lost their Play-In Game to the Chicago Bulls as they trailed late in the fourth quarter. The Heat then had to take on the No. 1 seed in the East, the Milwaukee Bucks, where nobody gave them a chance to win the series. They not only won the series, but they dominated it, winning in five. They followed that performance up with a strong series versus the Knicks as they took down New York in six games.
Once again, they enter a series as the dog and, this time, a heavy dog. Miami is currently +400 to win the series via DraftKings Sportsbook. Similar to Miami, Boston nearly saw its season end. Boston trailed Philadelphia 3-2 and trailed the 76ers late in the fourth quarter in Game 6 on the road.
Jayson Tatum completely took over the final four minutes of the game to lead Boston to a win. Tatum followed that up with one of the greatest game seven performances that the league has ever seen as he poured in an NBA Game 7 record 51 points. The Celtics enter play tonight as an eight-point favorite.
I am going to take Boston with the points tonight. I believe that this Celtics team is the best team in basketball, and they showed us how dominant they can be on Sunday. Miami has had a great story, and they should be proud of what they have accomplished this season, but this series is a complete mismatch, and I believe Boston wins the series in five games.
On the court, there is not one thing that Miami does better than Boston, and at home tonight; I expect the Celtics to come out fired up and execute their game plan. Lastly, Miami is a public dog currently, receiving nearly seventy percent of bets ATS. Let’s stay hot and cash in!
Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat Game 1 Pick
Pick: Boston Celtics -8 -110 is currently the best odds. Click here to see which sportsbooks have the best odds
NBA Odds
