NBA Consensus Picks- Celtics VS Heat 8:30 AM Friday in Manila
Team | Spread Odds and Consensus | O/U Odds and Consensus |
Celtics | +8.5/2.04/17% | o215.5/1.82/11% |
Heat | -8.5/1.80/83% | u215.5/2.02/89% |
Celtics vs. Heat Game 5 Prediction
Prior to Game 4, the Heat had a chance to sweep Boston after winning the first three games of this series. However, the Celtics obviously had other ideas, as Jayson Tatum and company avoided elimination by making 40% of their 45 three-point attempts en route to a 116-99 road victory and a 3-1 series advantage on Tuesday night.
Fair enough, expecting Miami to compete head-to-head with Boston in a game where the Celtics shoot long balls at such a high rate is a tall order, but the Heat did little to help their cause in Game 4 as they scored just 99 points on 44% shooting from the field and 25% from beyond the arc in their most recent meeting.
The Heat won the first three games of this series by putting up some insane offensive numbers, averaging 121 points per game on 52% shooting from the field and 48% from beyond the arc. However, bettors who have followed this Miami team throughout the season are well aware that a high scoring average isn't their typical route to victory.
Miami has definitely not arrived at this place by accident. Every game, the Heat play with no fear, throwing everything on the line. Jimmy Butler has the potential to be the best player on the court at any given time, they play excellent defense, they move the ball well on offense, and Erik Spoelstra might be the finest coach in the league.
While the Heat's offense has been significantly better in the playoffs, it is important to keep in mind that they were only ranked 25th in offensive rating and 27th in three-point percentage during the regular season. To further their success, Miami may need to revert to their previous style of play, which involved controlling the pace and relying heavily on their defense.
This scenario differs significantly from the typical postseason scenario where a club is on the verge of elimination early in a series for a variety of reasons. It's extremely uncommon to see a club behind 3-1 in a series with two home games remaining, but the Celtics are the only team in the whole league to rank Top 3 in both offensive and defensive rating.
But it's been apparent at times during these playoffs that the Celtics lacked mental toughness. The Tatum-Brown combo continues to falter in crucial situations, as evidenced by their combined 20 points on 4-of-15 shooting in the fourth quarters of Games 1-3 of this series. They have a mediocre 9-8 record since the start of the postseason, including a record of 0-5 in games decided by seven points or less.
But in Game 4, the Celtics put the brakes on offense and for the first time in the series, kept Miami to fewer than 100 points. Instead, the Heat made the decision to relax in that area for the evening, which allowed Boston to shoot 52% from the field and resulted in a dreadful 17-point defeat.
It won't be simple to shut the door on this Celtics team, and it's important to remember that they came into this series as the clear favorite to win the championship. Miami will eventually put the final nail in the coffin, but that is only a matter of time. On Thursday night, anticipate a hard defensive effort from the Heat to bring the equation back into balance. In Game 5, go with the under.
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