John Canady

ECF Series Outlook: Heat Vs. Celtics

<p>The No. 2 seeded Boston Celtics, and the No. 8 seeded Miami Heat will meet in the Eastern Conference Finals for a rematch of last year’s ECF series. The two teams have met in the conference finals three times in the previous four years.</p>
<p>Boston is expected to return to the NBA Finals for a second straight year as FanDuel Sportsbook posts them as -550 favorites to win the East.</p>
<h2>Need to know</h2>
<p>Jayson Tatum and the Celtics survived a nail-biting series against the Philadelphia 76ers. Thanks to a 51-point outing from Tatum, Boston survived the series with a Game 7 win despite trailing 3-2 at one point in the second-round matchup. Nonetheless, the C’s weathered the storm and now look to punch their ticket into the NBA Finals.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the Jimmy Butler-led Heat have been taking care of business. Miami pulled off the upset of the postseason, knocking out the No. 1 seeded Milwaukee Bucks in five games and then trampling the Knicks in six despite Butler’s ankle sprain. Erik Spoelstra has his team playing the right way at the right time, and the Heat won’t back down in any matchup.</p>
<h2>Injury Report</h2>
<p>The Celtics enter the ECF showdown with a clean injury report outside of Danilo Gallinari, who missed the regular season for Boston following an offseason ACL injury.</p>
<p>On the other hand, the Heat will be without Victor Oladipo, who suffered a season-ending injury in the first round of the playoffs. Tyler Herro, who is still recovering from his broken hand suffered in Game 1 against the Bucks, is also listed as out for Miami. Nonetheless, Herro may be able to return at some point in this series based on the original recovery timeline. Cody Zeller will also be a game-time decision for Game 1 in Boston.</p>
<h2>Key Matchups</h2>
<p>The Celtics and Heat will have one of the most intriguing matchups to watch. Boston will have plenty of defensive players to throw at Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, while the Heat’s stars will likely match up against Tatum and Brown.</p>
<p>The duel between Tatum and Butler will be the matchup to watch. Jimmy Buckets is averaging 31.1 points per game and has single-handedly taken the Heat this far. On the flip side, Tatum is also having an impressive postseason run, averaging 28.2 points per game. With both organizations looking to advance, this battle between two of the top two wings in the league will be vital to who comes out on top in the series.</p>
<h2>Series Pick</h2>
<p>The Celtics have arguably one of the deepest rosters in the league and a top-five duo in Tatum and Brown. Although the Heat have been defying the odds the whole postseason, it’s hard to see them overcoming the offensive talent and variety of lineups Boston can put on the floor. I believe the C’s matchup well with all the remaining playoff teams, especially Miami. The Celtics take this series as part of their revenge tour to redeem themselves from last season’s disappointing ending.</p>
<h2>Best Bet</h2>
<p><strong>Series Assist Leader: Jayson Tatum (+550)</strong></p>
<p>Jimmy Butler is the betting favorite to lead the series in assists at -175, but don’t underestimate Tatum’s ability to create for others. Butler is averaging 5.4 assists per game in this postseason run, compared to JT’s 5.2 assists per game. It’s a safe bet to assume the Heat will look to get the ball out of the Celtics star’s hands, and with Tatum’s improvement as a playmaker, the versatile forward could easily lead the series in assists.</p>


Celtics-Heat Eastern Conference Finals Preview

Speculation about Cooper Flag's NBA team choice stirs up Utah, Charlotte, and more, impacting several cities. The guys speculate where he could end up!

Exploring Potential Destinations for Future #1 Pick Cooper Flag

Steph Curry's health woes put Golden State's playoff chances in jeopardy as they struggle with scoring issues. Can they figure out their offense without him?

Golden State's Dim Chances Without Steph in Playoffs

Boston, up by 20 in both games, trails the Knicks 0-2 in the series, hinting at a potential Game 7. The guys break down the betting odds ahead of Game 3!

Boston Remains Favorite Despite 2-0 Deficit in Series vs Knicks

LATEST VIDEOS

Erik Spoelstra,Danilo Gallinari,Jaylen Brown,Jayson Tatum,Bam Adebayo,Jimmy Butler,Boston Celtics,Boston  MA,Eastern  Conference,Atlantic  Division,Miami Heat,Miami  FL,Southeast  Division

keywords

twitter:card

twitter:title

https://sg-images-bucket.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/thumnbail-webp/article/1772587-1920x1080.webp?v=1746950167

twitter:image

thumbnail

google

The Boston Celtics are looking to return to the NBA Finals in back-to-back seasons, but Jimmy Butler and the Heat have their own championship aspirations.

description

expires

robots

og:locale

og:site_name

og:type

og:title

og:description

og:image

og:image:type

og:image:width

og:image:height

og:image:secure_url

article:published_time

article:modified_time

2025 NBA Playoffs: Timberwolves vs Warriors Game 3 Most Bet Player Props

2025 NBA Playoffs: Celtics vs Knicks Game 3 Most Bet Player Props

Timberwolves vs Warriors Prediction, Props, and Best Bets NBA Game 3

Celtics vs Knicks Prediction, Props, and Best Bets NBA Game 3

Thunder vs Nuggets: Most Bet NBA Player Props for Game 3

Most Bet Player Props for Cavaliers vs Pacers NBA Playoffs Game 3

2025 NBA Playoffs: Best 2-Leg Parlay Bet for Friday, May 9

2025 NBA Draft: CBS Sports Full First Round Mock Reveals Top 10 Surprise

Thunder vs Nuggets Game 3: Best NBA Player Prop Bets Today

Thunder vs Nuggets Prediction, Props, and Best Bets NBA Game 3

Comment

Home

Articles

SportsGrid is your source for the best sports bets today. Watch SportsGrid for live sports news coverage, scores, odds, moneylines, sports betting tips & more.

sportsgrid.com

Ferrall Coast To Coast

College Football Today

NFL Pro Football Today

Bare Knuckle Fighting Main Event

The Early Line Live

SportsRage Tonight Live

NewsWire Live

The Bostonian Vs. The Book

Bare Knuckle Fighting Knuckle Up

MODUS Super Series Darts

Gametime Decisions Live

Fantasy Sports Today

The Smylie Kaufman Show

NHL Today

Ferrall Coast To Coast From Super Bowl Week

Ferrall Coast To Coast Live From Super Bowl Week

NFL Super Bowl Pro Football Today

2025 NFL Draft Special

OUR SHOWS

The A's showcased strong skills in a recent game, performing impressively with robust hitting and a solid bullpen. Are they top 8 in the American League?

Are the Athletics a Top 8 Team in the American League?

LATEST SPORTSGRID VIDEOS

Wherever you are, SportsGrid can be there too. Here are all of the platforms and subscription services you can find us on and how to watch SportsGrid today.

Where to Watch SportsGrid | How to Watch SportsGrid | SportsGrid

Samsung TV Plus

Roku TV

FireTV

LG Channels

Vizio

Xiaomi

VIDAA

SportsGrid is free to watch on any of the following Connected TV’s

FREE ON MY TV

Amazon Prime Video

YouTube TV

FuboTV

Plex

Sling Tv

FreeCast

Local Now

Stremium

Rad TV

Free Live Sports

SportsGrid is free to watch on any of the following Streaming services

LIVE STREAMING SERVICES

Sirius XM

Sports.Tv

YouTube

Download the new SportsGrid app, watch on SportsGrid.com or our YouTube Channel

WEB/MOBILE

SportsGrid is free to watch on any of the following platforms

ALL PARTNERS

Wherever you are, SportsGrid can be there too. Here are all of the platforms and subscription services you can find us on:

WHERE TO WATCH SPORTSGRID

Sports Betting

Sportsbook Promos

Social Casinos