The Miami Heat (48-28, 21-16 away) are on the road to battle the Boston Celtics (47-29, 26-12 home) in a mid-week clash featuring two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference.
On Monday night, Miami ended a four-game losing skid with a victory over Sacramento, while the Celtics snapped a six-game winning streak with a loss to Toronto. These two teams have faced each other twice already this season, with the Celtics taking both.
Wednesday’s tip-off is at 7:30 p.m. EST inside TD Garden in Boston, MA. Boston is a 5-point favorite in the matchup, and the over-under total is at 214.5 points.
What to Know – Miami Heat
Miami sits atop the Eastern Conference standings, but their recent woes have opened the door for a couple of franchises to take over the top spot as we close out the regular season. The Heat are 4-6 overall over their last ten contests.
Miami is eighth in the Eastern Conference, averaging 109.3 points per game thanks to 46.3% shooting from the floor and 37.4% from the 3-point line. The Heat defense is third in the conference surrendering 105.2 points per game while holding opponents to 44.6% shooting from the field and 34.1% shooting from deep.
Jimmy Butler scored a game-high 27 points, and the Heat used a 31-19 first quarter to jump out and hang on in a 123-100 victory at home Monday over the Kings. Bam Adebayo added 22 points and 15 rebounds, while Tyler Herro came off the bench to pour in 20. Miami shot 54.4% from the field and outrebounded the Kings, 48-32.
The Heat are 41-34-1 against the spread with a 22-14-1 mark on the road. Miami is 1-7 ATS over its last eight games but 7-1-1 ATS over its previous nine road tests.
What to Know – Boston Celtics
The Celtics trail Miami by just a game in the conference standings, making Wednesday night’s matchup key for playoff seeding as the end of the regular season draws near. Boston has won eight of its last ten games.
On offense, the Celtics are sixth in the division scoring 110.8 points per game and hit 46.2% of their shots from the field and 36.8% from the arc. Boston’s defense is best in the East, limiting teams to 104.0 points per game, 43.2% shooting from the floor, and 33.6% from three.
It took overtime, but Boston was unable to take care of business in the extra period, falling on the road to the Raptors, 115-112 on Monday night. Seven Celtics scored in double figures, led by Marcus Smart with 28 points and ten board. Boston turned the ball over 17 times and hit only 12-40 attempts from the outside.
Boston is 39-35-2 ATS and 17-19-2 at home. The Celtics are 6-1 ATS over their last seven bouts.
The Pick is In
A big battle on tap in the Eastern Conference race when these two teams take the floor Wednesday night. Boston has had the upper hand down the stretch, but the Celtics aren’t particularly great ATS at home, and Miami has a favorable mark on the road. Boston wins, but the game comes down to the final possession.
Betting Pick: Miami Heat +5
