Celtics vs. Heat NBA Prediction – Thursday, May 19, 2022

The Boston Celtics and Miami Heat will continue their Eastern Conference Finals series with Game 2 on Tuesday night. Boston looked strong in the first half of Game 1, but a third-quarter explosion led to a victory for Miami.

Boston was coming off a tough seven-game series. Perhaps that caught up with them in the second half of Game 1. The Heat won’t have the edge of being the fresher team in Game 2.

How will that affect things on Thursday night? We examine the odds for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Does it surprise anyone that the Miami Heat open as the home favorite? Miami’s Game 1 victory moved them to 7-0 at home in the postseason. The top NBA betting sites have them as a four-point favorite.

The Boston Celtics failed to cover the spread for the first time in a road playoff game this year. It didn’t look like it’d be an issue until their third-quarter collapse. The Heat have covered the spread in six of their seven home games.

It doesn’t sound like Kyle Lowry or Al Horford will suit up for Game 2. However, Boston will likely have Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart in the lineup. His presence will be vital for Boston’s Game 2 hopes.

The Boston Celtics and Miami Heat made the Eastern Conference Finals on the strength of their defense. Boston allowed the fewest points per game in the regular season, but that honor belonged to Miami in the playoffs.

Neither defense was great in the first half, but the Heat pulled away in the second half after holding the Celtics to 45 points.

Miami won Game 1 because of their performance in the third quarter. They outscored Boston 39-14, with Jimmy Butler scoring 17 points. Check out his overall numbers from Game 1.

Jayson Tatum has received much attention in the Eastern Conference, but Butler’s impact on the defensive end gives him the advantage. Both players are among the top contenders for the 2022 NBA Finals MVP.

Speaking of Tatum, it didn’t look like the Heat had an answer for him in the first half. He torched Miami with 21 points on 9-14 field goal shooting. However, it all went downhill with Miami’s defense flustering Tatum.

The plus/minus had Tatum as the worst player in the second half. Obviously, he wasn’t their worst player, but the Celtics forward was inefficient in the second half. He contributed to their Game 1 loss.

Truthfully, I don’t think the Celtics need to heavily adjust their game plan for Game 2. They won three of the four quarters but losing the third quarter by 25 points ended their hopes of a Game 1 victory.

It’ll be interesting to see if Tatum bounces back from a rough second half in Game 1. He’ll have to avoid that if Boston wants to even the series.

My same game parlay for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals features the two best players in the series. Bettors can win over $450 on a $100 bet.

Jimmy Butler has been on fire during the 2022 playoffs. Butler is averaging 29.8 points on 53.5 field goal shooting. We’ve seen an increase in his three-point attempts, averaging over four a game. However, I’m taking the under on this prop.

Butler has only cleared this projection in four of his 11 playoff games. Including Game 1, he is 0-9 on three-point shooting against the Boston Celtics this season. Butler should continue his aggressive playstyle, earning his points inside the three-point arc.

Jayson Tatum has been crashing the boars in the postseason. Check out his rebounding numbers in his last five games.

Tatum has been right on this projection in games he doesn’t clear 6.5 rebounds. He cleared 6.5 rebounds in three of his four matchups against the Heat this season. Al Horford’s absence gives him more rebounding opportunities.

Bam Adebayo’s rebounding numbers are down in the postseason. He’s averaging 7.4 in the playoffs, compared to 10.1 in the regular season. I’m expecting his Game 2 numbers to align with his playoff numbers.

He hasn’t cleared 8.5 rebounds since Game 2 of the Miami Heat’s second-round playoff series. Adebayo’s four rebounds in Game 4 marked the third time in four games against Boston he failed to clear 8.5 rebounds.

I expect that to continue in Game 2.

The Boston Celtics were a two-point underdog in Game 1. I know they lost that game, but their performance shouldn’t have brought the spread to four points.

You could argue the Celtics were the better team in Game 1. They could’ve lost the third quarter by ten points and still won Game 1. Marcus Smart’s return will help them keep things close. I wouldn’t mind taking them to win outright.

ESPN will have the coverage of Thursday’s game at 8:30 p.m. ET. Head over to BetUS to wager on Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals.