This article originally appeared at FanDuel.
Get set for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals with a big Heat vs. Celtics prediction, plus the latest odds and betting insights from our friends at FanDuel.
The NBA Playoffs continue on Friday, May 19 with Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics.
The Heat rallied from a nine-point deficit at halftime to steal Game 1 on the road after erupting for 46 points in the third quarter. The Celtics’ fourth-quarter comeback fell short in a 123-116 loss, and now they’ll look to even the series at home before it shifts to Miami for Game 3.
Despite being upset in Game 1, the Celtics are still heavy betting favorites on the spread and moneyline for Game 2 at FanDuel. Friday night’s contest also features an over/under of 215 points with both sides available at -110 odds, so the bookmakers are expecting a lower-scoring affair in Game 2 compared to Game 1.
Celtics vs. Heat Game 2 Info
- Date: Friday, May 19, 2023
- Time: 8:30 pm ET
- Venue: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
- US TV coverage: TNT
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Celtics vs. Heat Odds & Spread: Game 2
All NBA betting lines, odds, and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
- Moneyline: MIA: (+330) | BOS: (-420)
- Spread: MIA: +9 (-110) | BOS: -9 (-110)
- Total: 215 — Over: (-110) | Under: (-110)
| Favorite | Spread | Favorite Spread Odds | Underdog Spread Odds | Total | Over Total Odds | Under Total Odds | Favorite Moneyline | Underdog Moneyline |
| Celtics | -9 | -110 | -110 | 215 | -110 | -110 | -390 | +310 |
MIA vs. BOS Betting Trends
- The Celtics went 43-37-2 against the spread last season.
- The Heat covered every time (2-0) as underdogs of 9 points or greater last year.
- Celtics games went over the point total 41 out of 82 times last season.
- There were 46 Heat games (out of 82) that hit the over last year.
Celtics vs. Heat Prediction & Pick: Game 2
For the second series in a row, the Celtics dropped Game 1 at home. This time their defense was powerless to stop the Heat’s impressive shooting barrage, which saw Miami shoot 54.1% from the floor and 51.6% from downtown.
The Heat were one of the worst three-point shooting teams during the regular season, however, ranking 27th in the NBA at 34.4%. Accordingly, don’t expect a repeat performance in Game 2, especially on the road.
Boston is a much better three-point shooting team than Miami, ranking second in both makes and attempts as well as sixth in shooting percentage (37.7%) from beyond the arc during the regular season. The C’s only went 10-for-29 (34.5%) in Game 1, however, with Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Al Horford going a combined 3-for-14.
Expect those three to have more success from deep in Game 2 and for the Heat to regress to the mean, resulting in a fairly comfortable victory for Boston.
HEAT vs. CELTICS FINAL SCORE PREDICTION: Celtics 113, Heat 104
Game 2 Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics Best Bet
With the Celtics looking to even the series in Game 2, look for Jayson Tatum to have a big game for Boston. He scored 30 points during Game 1 despite going just 1-for-3 from downtown — only his fourth time in 14 games this postseason with fewer than 3 made threes. He’s now scored at least 30 points in three of his last four games thanks to his incredible volume from the charity stripe (43 free throw attempts) and beyond the arc (35 three-point attempts).
Look for Tatum to be more aggressive from deep and rack up at least 30 points again.
CELTICS vs. HEAT BEST BET: Jayson Tatum OVER 29.5 points (-122)
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