Miami Heat vs Boston Celtics Betting Pick & Prediction 12/2/24
At 7:30 ET, the Miami Heat (9-9) will travel to Boston to take on the Celtics (16-4) in an Eastern Conference matchup. The Celtics are currently 10.5-point favorites and have a moneyline of -507. The over/under line is set at 220.5.
This game will be played at TD Garden and can be seen on NBCS. Miami is 6th in the Eastern Conference and 2nd in the Southeast Division, while Boston is 2nd in the East and 1st in the Atlantic.
MIAMI HEAT VS BOSTON CELTICS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Miami Heat +10.5
This game will be played at TD Garden at 7:30 ET on Monday, December 2nd.
WHY BET THE MIAMI HEAT:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 128-103 in favor of the Heat.
- Our projections have Tyler Herro finishing with 20 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists.
- From the field, we have the Heat finishing with a field goal percentage of 46.0% and knocking down 15 threes.
Can the Heat Grab a Win on the Road?
Miami fell to 9-9 on the season after a 119-116 loss to the Raptors on Sunday. The Heat were favored by five points heading into the game but couldn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game were 235, surpassing the over/under line of 221.5.
A key moment in the game was a 10-0 run by the Raptors, which pushed the score from 22-17 to 32-17. Miami fought back, outscoring Toronto 29-21 in the 4th quarter, but it wasn’t enough to complete the comeback.
Tyler Herro led the Heat with 31 points and 6 threes in their 119-116 loss to the Raptors, shooting 56.2% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc. Miami made 15 threes as a team, hitting 37.5% from deep, while their overall field goal percentage was 44.3%.
Herro scored 13 points in the 1st quarter and added 9 more in the 4th. Jimmy Butler and Terry Rozier each contributed 17 points, with Butler shooting 66.7% and Rozier hitting 3 threes. Rozier also had 9 points in the 2nd quarter.
The Heat struggled defensively on Sunday, giving up 119 points to the Raptors, who shot 53% from the field. Miami allowed 34 points in the 1st quarter and 33 in the 3rd, but tightened up in the 4th, giving up just 21 points.
Despite the loss, the Heat did well defending the three, holding Toronto to 34% shooting with only 10 made threes. Miami also sent the Raptors to the line 20 times, where they made 15 free throws. The Heat finished with 11 steals and 4 blocks.
Does Boston Have What it Takes to Win as Home Favorites?
Boston’s record dropped to 16-4 after a 115-111 loss to the Cavaliers on Sunday. The Celtics, who were +1.5 point underdogs, didn’t cover the spread, and the game’s total of 226 points fell short of the 229.5 O/U line.
Boston appeared to be in control after a strong 3rd quarter, outscoring Cleveland 35-21 to take an 84-72 lead. However, the Cavaliers stormed back in the 4th, putting up 43 points to Boston’s 27 to seal the win.
Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 33 points and 8 rebounds in their 115-111 loss to the Cavaliers, shooting 44.4% from the field and hitting 4 threes at the same percentage. Payton Pritchard contributed 24 points, while Kristaps Porzingis added 21 points and 8 rebounds.
As a team, the Celtics shot just 40% from the field and 34.7% from beyond the arc, making 17 threes. Tatum scored 17 points in the 3rd quarter, while Pritchard added 17 points in the 4th.
Defensively, the Celtics were solid for three quarters, holding the Cavaliers to 28 points in the 1st, 23 in the 2nd, and 21 in the 3rd. However, they gave up 43 points in the 4th, leading to a 115-111 loss. Boston allowed Cleveland to shoot 48% from the field.
The Celtics struggled to defend the three, allowing the Cavaliers to hit 17 threes at a 47% clip. Cleveland also went 20/25 from the free-throw line. Boston gave up 6 offensive rebounds but recorded 11 steals and 6 blocks.