NBA

Boston Celtics vs Miami Heat Game 1 Prediction and Odds: 2023 NBA Playoffs

The Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat will round up in the Eastern Conference Finals for the third time in the last four years. The Celtics prevailed last year winning Game 7 on the road and turning things around after a 3-2 deficit. The Heat have not forgotten that loss and despite the fact that they were the 8th seed in the conference, they have a standing chance against the Celtics.

These odds from William Hill were correct at the time of writing.

Boston Celtics
Photo: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA
By Icon Sport

Boston Celtics vs Miami Heat – Game Predictions

The Celtics are coming off an impressive performance in Game 7 against the Philadelphia 76ers and now will host the Miami Heat in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The two teams became fierce rivals in recent years and this will be another intense Playoff series.

Prediction 1: Miami Heat to Cover the Spread (+8)

The Boston Celtics are a major favorite in this series but the Miami Heat have proven they do not care much about that. The Heat had a much easier road up to this point and despite the fact that they are playing without two players from the rotation, they can match up with the Celtics. Joe Mazzulla’s team is not under pressure as they were in the last series with the Sixers and the Heat have more days to rest. The spread of 8 points in the Celtics’ favor is a little too much, and the Heat will definitely cover it.

Prediction 2: Marcus Smart under 14.5 points

Marcus Smart averaged 11.5 points per game in the regular season, a number that increased to 15.8 in the Playoffs. he is shooting 36.3% from the three-point line in the Playoffs which will be hard to hold against a defense like Miami.  Going into this series, Smart will be focused on guarding Jimmy Butler which would be a huge challenge for him. That will cut some shots in the offensive end for him and the pace in this series will be way slower than in the series against the Sixers. Given that, Smart will not be that efficient on the offensive and which will keep him under 14.5 points in the series opener.

Celtics vs Heat Preview – Tatum vs Butler – Who will top the series?

This will be another tough series between the Celtics and the Heat just like it was last season. Both Jason Tatum and Jimmy Butler are having epic performances in the Playoffs and a lot will depend on them in this series as well. It will be interesting to see if the coaches will match them up, but anyway, they will be the main stars in this series.

Boston Celtics News, Injuries, and Starting Lineups

The Boston Celtics are made for this time of the year. They survived a seven-game drama against the Philadelphia 76ers turning things around after a 3-2 deficit. Now, the Celtics are back as the main favorite to win the NBA championship. Jayson Tatum is in beast mode and the rest of the crew is ready to follow his lead.

Boston Celtics Injury Report:

Danilo Gallinari is out for season.

Boston Celtics Starting Lineup:

Marcus Smart, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Al Horford

Miami Heat News, Injuries, and Starting Lineups

The Miami Heat were on the verge of not even making it to the Playoffs. They finished 7th in the Eastern Conference in the regular season and lost the opener of the Play-In tournament to the Atlanta Hawks. Still, they defeated the Chicago Bulls to save the season and a couple of weeks later, here they are in the conference finals. They are the underdog in this series given the regular season record, the Celtics’ home court advantage, and the fact that Tyler Herro and Victor Oladipo are out of the series.

Miami Heat Injury Report:

Tyler Herro and Victor Oladipo are out for the Heat.

Miami Heat Starting Lineup:

Max Struss, Gabe Vincent, Duncan Robinson, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo.

Celtics vs Heat Head to Head Record In 2023

The Celtics and the Heat split the regular season series winning two games apiece.

Boston Celtics vs Miami Heat Game Details

Boston Celtics vs Miami Heat

  • Date & Time: Wednesday, May 17, 8:30 p.m. ET
  • Venue: TD Garden, Boston, MA
  • Where to watch in the UK: TNT on TV or fuboTV on a live stream


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