NBA Betting: Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics – Game 1 Pick and Prediction

By Ryan Knuppel - April 30, 2011  

Game: Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics

Date/Time: Monday May 2nd, 2011 / 5:30am AEST

In the second round of the National Basketball Association postseason; the Miami Heat will host the Boston Celtics. The Heat are the second seed in the Eastern Conference, and coming off a series win over the Philadelphia 76ers in five games. The Celtics are the third seed; and swept New York in the first round. The Celtics beat the Heat three out of four times during the regular season.
Miami Heat Overview:

The Miami Heat came into the season with all the headlines on them. After picking up LeBron James and Chris Bosh, Miami was predicted to win the Eastern Conference. The Heat were up and down at times, and had struggles to mix everything together. In the end, the Heat finished just behind Chicago in the Eastern Conference.

The Heat  were led in scoring by LeBron James. James scored 26.7 points per game for a team that averaged 102.1 per game. Miami went 30-11 at home and 38-14 against Eastern Conference teams. Miami has bad news, as they have found both Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem both are expected to miss the series with injuries. 
Boston Celtics Overview:

The Boston Celtics went to the NBA Finals last season, only to lose to the Los Angeles Lakers. Boston finished with 56 wins; which was 6 higher than last season. The Celtics won the Atlantic Division; 14 games ahead of the New York Knicks. The Celtics saw Kevin Garnett score 26 points and grab 10 rebounds in the win over New York in game four.

The Celtics were the top defensive team in the league. Boston allowed 91.1 points per game, which was just better than Chicago. The Celtics are led by Paul Pierce in scoring, and Kevin Garnett in rebounding. Rajon Rondo was near the top in assists, while Ray Allen is the leading 3 point shooter in all of NBA history.
Heat/Celtics Pick and Prediction:

This should be a fantastic series. The Celtics have the veterans that have won in the playoffs in the past. While Miami has some seasoned guys – they do not have the team together that has won before. Boston looked old at the end of the regular season, but took care of New York with ease. Look for this game to be close throughout, but in the end Miami wins, and covers the spread. The Heat are listed at -5.5. We are betting Miami -5.5 over Boston.

Our pick: Miami Heat -5.5. Bet the Heat at Sportsbet.