After suffering a 20-point loss in what turned out to be a revenge game for the Boston Celtics, the Miami Heat will enter Monday night’s Game 4 as double-digit home underdogs.
Miami was still missing Jimmy Butler and Terry Rozier, two of its top scorers. As a result, the Heat only posted 84 points, struggling to gain momentum on that side of the court.
Butler and Rozier will continue to be sidelined due to their respective injuries, giving Boston a clear path to taking a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven first-round NBA playoff series .
But it never seems that simple when the opponent is coached by Erik Spoelstra.
Will the C’s notch another double-digit victory or will Miami pull off the impossible for the second time in this Eastern Conference series? Let’s break down the matchup with a prediction and a pick.
Celtics vs. Heat odds
| Team | Spread | Money line | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Celtics | -10.5 (-108) | -520 | o203.5 (-108) |
| Heat | +10.5 (-112) | +390 | u203.5 (-112) |
Celtics vs Heat Prediction
(7:30 p.m. ET Monday, TNT)
Game 3 featured a much more concerted effort from Boston on defense, particularly on the perimeter.
The C’s held Miami to just 9-of-28 shooting from behind the arc, a significantly better mark than the 23 3-pointers they allowed in Game 2.
What’s even more impressive is that the Heat only attempted 28 3-pointers, 12 fewer than their average in the first two games of the series.
So, Boston not only contested the 3 that Miami took, but also forced the Heat to score inside the arc, a formidable strategy for a team like the Celtics that can rely on interior defense and rim protection from Kristaps Porzingis to contest shots in the paint. .
Boston has the personnel to make a permanent adjustment to how it defends the point of attack; Payton Pritchard, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White can pressure the ball at any time.
Holiday and White, in particular, are considered two of the toughest defenders in the NBA.
I expect the C’s to build on their defensive success in Game 3 and continue to undermine Miami’s offensive game plan, especially since the Heat don’t have a true point guard to do so. face pressure and get them into their half-court sets. .
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Celtics vs. Heat Picks
Ultimately, Game 2 served as a wake-up call for the C’s, a team that largely dominated the Eastern Conference and the NBA in general throughout the regular season.
The talent disparity between these two teams right now is simply too great for Miami to overcome.
Think about it: the Heat had to down a franchise-record playoff number of 3 to defeat Boston in Game 2. It simply won’t happen again.
Boston in a blowout.
