Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports
The Boston Celtics took a tough loss to the Orlando Magic on Monday night, and now they have a rematch of last season’s Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat on Tuesday.
Boston didn’t have Marcus Smart, Malcolm Brogdon or Robert Williams III on Monday, but there’s a chance some of them return tonight. The team will likely be down Al Horford, as he’s sat out back-to-backs for the Celtics on multiple occasions this season.
Miami has been playing much better as of late, moving into the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference, but it’s just 1-2 against Boston this season.
The Celtics’ nine-game winning streak was snapped on Monday, but they still have the best record in the NBA. This is just the third time Boston has been listed as an underdog on the road, but does it cover against Miami?
Let’s dive into the odds and my best bet for this game:
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Boston Celtics @ Miami Heat | Odds by BetMGM
I’m going to take a shot on Boston playing Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown tonight and potentially getting a player or two back as well.
The Celtics shouldn’t be underdogs to this Heat team, and there are a few betting trends that favor Boston in this spot.
First off, the C’s are 2-0 against the spread in both of their games as road dogs, with an insane margin of victory of 16.5 points in those games.
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Secondly, Miami has been brutal as a home favorite, going just 5-14-2 against the spread.
Even with the Heat getting healthier, I don’t think they have the firepower to compete with Boston if its two stars are in the lineup.
The Celtics struggled with Orlando because of its size and length on the wings, but the Heat are a much smaller team that Boston matches up well with.
I’ll gladly take the points whenever the Celtics are underdogs this season.
MIA
ML: +120
MIA -2.5, O/U 217.5
ML: -145
Consensus betting odds
Pick & odds as of January 24, 2023, 8:50 AM
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Find Peter Dewey’s full betting record here .
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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
