Free NBA Pick: Heat vs. Celtics NBA Odds
Looking for Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics free NBA picks & NBA odds? NBA betting sees the Heat taking on the Celtics on Friday, December 2nd, 2022 at TD Garden. Cappers Picks provides complimentary expert handicapping picks on all NBA basketball matchups so stay tuned for more FREE daily NBA hoops predictions like this Heat Celtics matchup.
2022 NBA Playoffs Handicapping
(10-12) Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics (18-4)
Date: Friday, December 2nd
Time: 7:30 PM EST
Venue: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
NBA Moneyline Odds: Heat +275 | Celtics -350 (Bet Now!)
NBA Betting Odds: Celtics -8.5
NBA Betting Total: 224.5
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Friday, December 2nd, the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat play in the third of four scheduled meetings this season. Boston won both prior meetings including the 111-104 victory on October 21st and the first of this baseball set on Wednesday (134-121).
Miami will host the final contest on January 24th.
Last season, the squads played three times with Boston taking two of the three contests. The Celtics hold the advantage all-time having won 80 times of the club’s 131 meetings.
Miami Heat
With Jimmy Butler missing his seventh game, Bam Adebayo stepped up but was ejected late in the game and took umbrage with the officiating.
Bam cited the whistle disparity as having the biggest impact in the loss more than Tatum’s 49 points or Celtics’ 22 triples (the Heat had 18). He noted how the Heat lives in the paint (and won that battle 50-44) but got a mere nine free throws versus the Celtics’ 23.
Bam’s main issue was the refusal of the refs to look him in the eye, proceeding to lie to him that he wasn’t getting fouled when the film confirmed refs were positioned to see the Celtics PUSHING him.
Adebayo criticized the fact the obvious infractions on him were ignored while Miami was whistled for equal or lesser violations.
Offensively, the Heat score 108.4 points per game (28th rank) shooting 44.8.% from the field (26th) and 33.2% from the perimeter (25th).
Defensively, the Heat allow opponents to score 108.9 points per game ranking eighth. Miami opponents shoot 47.5% from the field (18th) and 34.8% from the perimeter (10th).
Tyler Herro (ankle), Max Strus (shoulder), Gabe Vincent (ankle), Duncan Robinson (ankle), and Haywood Highsmith (ankle) are probable while Butler (knee), Dewayne Dedmon/Nikola Jovic (both with plantar fasciitis) are questionable.
Victor Oladipo (knee), and Omer Yurtseven (ankle) are out indefinitely.
Boston Celtics
With Prince William and Princess Kate in attendance, Jayson Tatum put on a show scoring 49 points, including eight 3-pointers, and 11 of 12 from the line.
Boston’s offense is on another level ranking first across the board averaging 121.9 points, 49.8% from the field, and 40.8% from deep.
They’re improving defensively with Robert Williams closing in on a return to bolster their averages of opponent scoring 113.3 points (15th), 47.1% field goal shooting (17th), and 35.6% from the perimeter (16th).
Aside: Bam isn’t wrong – Boston is afforded more leeway probably based on their seeding. Unless you’re a die-hard Celts fan the variance of the whistle is so obvious my pre-teen nephew called it out.
Robert Williams III (knee) and Danilo Gallinari (knee) are out indefinitely.
NBA Betting Trends:
- The Heat are 4-1-1 ATS in their last 6 games.
- The Celtics are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games.
- The Heat are 1-7 SU in their last 8 games on the road.
- The Heat are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games against Boston.
Free Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics NBA Prediction:
These baseball sets typically result in splits but the Bean Town crew is rolling offensively and to Adebayo’s point – there is that issue of the differing whistle. To wit, I suspect this could be a “Spoelstra Special”…
READ: the first signs of an uneven whistle will prompt Spo to have his entire unit foul their matchup and keep fouling every play until the refs have received his not-so-subtle message. It’s sort of ingenious because the natural tendency of refs is to back off.
Consider the two teams who’ve beaten Boston: the Cavaliers, with two OT wins, and Bulls with mid-range assassin DeMar DeRozan who’ll stubbornly drive the paint 20 times in a row to force the whistle.
It’s no coincidence Chicago won the glass and took more free throws in both wins. Cleveland accomplished that feat in one game and had one-less rebound/three fewer FTA in the other.
I have to keep reminding myself this iteration of the Heat isn’t the 2021-22 version. So if you’re nervous wait for the pre-game injury report to ensure Butler’s status.
That said, old habits die hard and I base a lot on reaction/gut instinct, and there was just something about how mad the typically calm Bam was post-game. So I’m jumping in even before the report and taking the points — if Butler returns I like Miami to win by one or two, but if he remains out then I like the Celts by five.
4* Free NBA Betting Pick: Heat +8.5
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