Red Hot Heat Face the Struggling Celtics
The first half of Monday night’s NBA doubleheader on NBA TV is an Eastern Conference clash between the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics. The game is slated for a 7:30 p.m. tip at TD Garden. Boston is favored by 6.5 points at home and BetAnySports has set the total at 212 points.
The Heat have gotten hot at the right time of the year. They have six straight-up victories in their last eight games. They have also been a solid bet at 5-2-1 against the spread on BetAnySports’ closing line. Saturday’s 100-92 road win against New York as seven-point favorites stayed UNDER the 209-point total line. The total has stayed UNDER in four of Miami’s last five games. The Heat is 8-1 ATS over its last nine road games.
Josh Richardson has missed his last two starts with a knee injury and he remains doubtful for Monday night. He has been Miami’s leading scorer this season piling in 16.2 points per game. In his absence against the Knicks, Dion Waiters scored a game-high 28 points. Dwyane Wade added 16 more off the bench. The Heat are ranked 26th in the NBA in scoring with an average of 105.6 points. However, they are holding opposing teams to that exact same scoring average on defense.
Celtics Looking for Answers
Boston has not done itself any favors in the Eastern Conference playoff race. They have five SU losses in their last seven games. With Saturday’s 110-96 loss to Brooklyn, as four-point road underdogs, the Celtics are 2-8 ATS over their last 10 games. The total stayed UNDER BetAnySports’ 223-point closing line in that loss. It had gone OVER in eight of their previous 10 contests. Boston is now tied with Indiana at 45-32 for fourth place in the standings.
Playing shorthanded against the Nets, Gordon Hayward led Boston in scoring with 19 points while going 7-for-12 from the field. Kyrie Irving and Al Horford sat this one out with injuries. Both players are listed as probable for this game. Irving is the Celtics’ leading scorer this season with 23.9 PPG as part of the team’s overall 112.4-point scoring average. Boston is eighth in the NBA when it comes to average points allowed (108.1).
Given the current playing from of each of these teams, I am taking Miami plus the 6.5 points in this matchup.
NBA Betting Odds & Trends
| Miami Heat |
|---|
| Miami is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games |
| The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Miami’s last 5 games |
| Miami is 8-1 ATS in its last 9 games on the road |
| Miami is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road |
| Miami is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Boston |
| Miami is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games when playing Boston |
| Miami is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Boston |
| Miami is 8-15 ATS in its last 23 games when playing on the road against Boston |
| Miami is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Boston |
| The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Miami’s last 8 games when playing on the road against Boston |
| Boston Celtics |
|---|
| Boston is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games |
| Boston is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games |
| The total has gone OVER in 8 of Boston’s last 11 games |
| Boston is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games at home |
| Boston is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games at home |
| Boston is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Miami |
| Boston is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games when playing Miami |
| Boston is 15-8 ATS in its last 23 games when playing at home against Miami |
| Boston is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Miami |
| Boston is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Miami |
| The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Boston’s last 8 games when playing at home against Miami |
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