Heat vs. Celtics Game 5 Preview, Odds, Lines, Prediction, Picks

The Boston Celtics saved their honor by beating the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals series. The Cs have taken one win in Florida, with that happening in Game 4. Now they get back home to the TD Garden, hoping to win another contest and extend the series. Nobody ever came back after being down 3-0, and we are sure that the Cs don’t count on that at the moment, but we have to mention this data. As for the Heat, they missed the opportunity to sweep the big rivals and now have to reach the NBA Finals the hard way. 

Preview

Miami Heat (+255) opened the game well, winning the first period and heading to the break with a six-point lead. But it appears that the Heat relaxed and underestimated the rivals, who swept them away in the third sequence. 

Butler and the boys allowed 38 points in that sequence while scoring only 23. They did push hard in the fourth but couldn’t flip the result, particularly due to a poor three-point shooting. They were eight of 32 from behind the arc.

BOSTON SURVIVES 🍀

The Celtics will head back home for Game 5 vs. the Heat 👀 pic.twitter.com/fZwdNGS9Qa

— ESPN (@espn) May 24, 2023

Butler had 29 points with nine boards but was 9-for-21 from the field. Caleb Martin was solid off the bench with 16 buckets, while Gabe Vincent had 17. For the first time, Bam Adebayo couldn’t dominate the paint and was stopped, with home ending the night scoring just 10 points and five rebounds.

Boston Celtics (-325) finally looked like we all expected, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Only 99 points allowed in Miami have to be acknowledged, with 43 coming in the second half with the game on the line. Meanwhile, the offense was in its solid mode, and all the starters had double-digit numbers in the scoring column. Also, 18 threes in 45 attempts were something that cooled the Heat.

Tatum scored 33 points with 11 rebounds and seven assists. You can’t ask for more from one player, especially if he made 14 shots in 22 attempts. Jaylen Brown scored 17 buckets, and Derrick White one point fewer.

Al Horford had 12 buckets and seven boards, but his effort in controlling the pain was crucial here. The defense in the moments when Jimmy Butler tried to attack the rim pushed the win on the Cs’ side. And Horford had a big role here. 

Head-to-Head Games

After three wins in a row, the Miami Heat have lost the first meeting of this series. Game 1 saw them winning in Boston, 123-116, Game 2 ended 111-105, while Game 3, which was at the Miami Dade Arena, concluded 128-102 for the Heat. 

Predictions

The line for the totals is 215.5 points, and given the fact that it is crucial for both units, the defense will be in the middle here. Boston Celtics must use the same formula as in Game 4, meaning a very tough defense. The Heat allowed 116 points in their own house, which is a kick in the teeth for Erik Spoelstra, who will demand more consistency on the defensive side. So, Under 215.5 points will be our pick for Game 5. We expect one of the most physical games of the entire playoffs. 

Pick: Under 215.5 points -110