The Boston Celtics had their chance to finish off the 2022 Eastern Conference finals at home, and now the Miami Heat get their shot when they host Game 7 on Sunday night. Miami’s Jimmy Butler put in an otherworldly performance in Friday night’s Game 6, scoring 47 points in a 111-103 victory. Jayson Tatum scored 30 points for Boston in the losing effort. Both teams are really banged up after the long season, and the winner will head to the NBA Finals to face the Golden State Warriors, which start Thursday.
Tip-off in Miami is set for 8:30 p.m. ET. Boston is favored by three-points in the latest Celtics vs. Heat NBA odds at Caesars Sportsbook, and the over-under for total points scored is set at 197. Before you make any Heat vs. Celtics picks or NBA predictions, you need to see what SportsLine expert Zack Cimini has to say.
A Las Vegas handicapper who’s never afraid to buck conventional wisdom, Cimini excels in multiple sports. Over the past 33 NBA picks, Cimini is 22-11, returning almost $800 to $100 players. He is also on an amazing 38-16-1 run with his last 55 against-the-spread picks involving the Celtics, returning almost $1,800 to $100 players.
Now, Cimini has set his sights on Celtics vs. Heat, and just locked in his picks and NBA playoff predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Heat vs. Celtics:
- Celtics vs. Heat spread: Celtics -3
- Celtics vs. Heat over-under: 197 points
- Celtics vs. Heat money line: Celtics -150, Heat +130
- Celtics vs. Heat tickets: See tickets at StubHub
- BOS: The Celtics are 23-13 ATS after a loss this season
- MIA: The Heat are 33-30 ATS after a victory in 2021-22
Featured Game | Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics
Why the Celtics can cover
Boston battled to the end Friday night and held the lead in the fourth quarter, but the Celtics couldn’t stop Butler. Boston will be much more focused on that task Sunday, and it held him to 19 total points over the previous two games. The Celtics’ top scorers started Game 6 hot, with Tatum and Jaylen Brown each scoring 18 on a combined 12-of-18 shooting. In the second half, they combined for 14, making three of seven shots and six free throws. They should be much more involved throughout Sunday. Tatum averaged 27.1 points and Brown added 22.9 in the regular season.
Derrick White exploded off the bench Friday, scoring 11 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter, and should be a big help for a team with several players hobbled. The Celtics are 32-16-1 against the spread in road games, 17-7 as a favorite, and they have the better numbers in this series. They are shooting five percent better than Miami, scoring 5.5 points more per game and averaging four more rebounds.
Why the Heat can cover
Miami is 20-10 against the spread this season as an underdog (4-2 at home) and 10-7 ATS in this postseason. Butler showed Friday night that he can simply take over a game, and he will be pushed hard by the home crowd. Butler averaged 21.4 points in the regular season and is at 26.9 for the series. His 47 points Friday were his career postseason high. Miami led the league in 3-point shooting (37.9 percent), but is hitting just 31.5 percent in the series.
The Heat also have been strong on the defensive end all season. They were fourth in the NBA in both scoring defense (105.6 points per game) and opponent field-goal percentage (44.7) in the regular season. Center Bam Adebayo also is due for a big game, as he is averaging 13.3 points, well below his 19.1 season average, and two fewer rebounds (10.1-8.0).
How to make Celtics vs. Heat picks
For Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals, Cimini is leaning under on the point total, but he also says a critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back. He’s only sharing what it is, and which side of the Heat vs. Celtics spread to back, at SportsLine.
So who wins Celtics vs. Heat? And which side of the spread is a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Heat vs. Celtics spread you need to jump on Sunday, all from the expert that has crushed his NBA picks, and find out.
George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism