Heat vs. Celtics: Betting Picks and Prediction for Game 2

The Boston Celtics barely broke a sweat in their 114-94 victory over the Miami Heat in Game 1 of their First-Round series in the NBA Playoffs. It is going to be a tall task for the Heat to even things up in the series with Jimmy Butler sidelined due to a knee ailment.

After covering as 14.5-point favorites at home on Sunday, the Celtics are 14.5-point favorites again in Game 2. Given the circumstances for both teams, Boston is being given -50000 odds to win the series and the shortest odds to win the NBA Finals (+115).

Can Miami be competitive sans Butler on the road? Or will Boston cruise to another blowout victory to inch closer to their goal of winning it all?

Let's dive into the odds for Wednesday's contest and break down the Heat-Celtics matchup in Game 2.

All NBA odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook and may change after this article is published.

NBA Playoffs Betting

Heat-Celtics Betting Odds

Date and Time: 7 p.m. ET

Spread: Celtics -14.5 (-108)

Total: 204

Moneyline:

• Heat: +730
• Celtics: -1150

Heat vs. Celtics Advanced Stats Breakdown

nERD via numberFire. Adjusted offensive/defensive ratings and pace via DunksAndThrees.

• Miami Heat:
  • nERD: 56.2 (15th)
  • Adjusted Offensive Rating: 113.2 (25th)
  • Adjusted Defensive Rating: 113.4 (8th)
  • Pace: 96.3 (29th)
  • Against-the-Spread Record: 40-40-2
• Boston Celtics:
  • nERD: 80.8 (1st)
  • Adjusted Offensive Rating: 117.9 (2nd)
  • Adjusted Defensive Rating: 111.3 (3rd)
  • Pace: 98.8 (17th)
  • Against-the-Spread Record: 41-36-5

Heat vs. Celtics Best Bet

Over 204 (-112)

There's a reason why Wednesday's showdown is being given such a low projected total at 204. Only 208 points were scored in Game 1, with the Celtics doing plenty of the heavy lifting by producing 114 points on 22-for-49 shooting from three-point range.

Despite the total being a minuscule number -- and it being a playoff contest between two formidable defensive teams -- we'll side with the over hitting in Game 2. In the first game of the series, Tyler Herro (20.8 PPG) and Caleb Martin (10.0 PPG) combined for only 15 points for the Heat.

Aside from expecting Herro and Martin to perform better with expanded roles amid Butler's absence, we should expect the Celtics to continue chucking up threes. The Heat are allowing the second-highest three-point rate (43.0%) while the Celtics boast the second-highest three-point rate (48.0%) on offense.

Although Miami and Boston have gone 4-6 to the over in their last 10 meetings, there has been 204-plus points scored in nine of those games. This includes four games where Butler was inactive for the Heat, so we know these teams are capable of achieving the over despite Miami being shorthanded.

Additionally, the Heat are 7-3 and the Celtics are 6-4 to the over in their last 10 games. Boston has had just two home games all season -- including the playoffs -- where there has been fewer than 204 total points scored.

Prior to Wednesday's clash taking place, numberFire is predicting a score of 109.05 to 101.30 in favor of the Celtics while giving the over a 61.64% chance of occurring.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author’s advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.