Celtics Aim to Even Series With Heat

The Eastern Conference final is a series again – and the Boston Celtics might just have the X factor on their side as they tangle with the Miami Heat in Game 4 on Wednesday night. The Celtics got up early and stayed there in a 117-106 win over the Heat in Game 3, and welcomed back star forward Gordon Hayward after he had missed the previous 12 games with an ankle injury.

Sportsbook Odds Analysis

Boston opened the Game 4 betting at -2.5, but that line has jumped a half-point in most spots. The total of 210.5, on the other hand, has held steady.

Boston News & Notes

Hayward didn’t make much of an impact in his return to the lineup – scoring six points while adding five rebounds and four assists in 31 minutes off the bench – but once the rust is gone, he’ll make the Celtics even more difficult to contain. As it is, Boston appears to be finding its offensive footing after seeing four players score 20 or more points in Saturday’s double-digit victory.

In terms of a player prop, we’re bullish on the OVER on Jayson Tatum’s assist total. In an intriguing swerve, Tatum has become the team’s primary distributor, averaging an impressive 6.6 assists over the past five games after registering just 3.0 assists per game during the season. Look for Tatum to continue to rack up the dimes in Game 4.

Miami News & Notes

Jae Crowder is an important part of the Heat’s defensive identity, but Miami might want him to ease up a bit from beyond the arc. The veteran small forward shot a sizzling 45.2 percent from three-point range in the five-game series win over Milwaukee but is just 5-for-20 from deep in the last two games and went a dismal 2-for-10 in Saturday’s defeat.

Miami will also need more from Goran Dragic, who showed rare poor form over the weekend, going 2-for-10 from the floor en route to an 11-point performance. Dragic has been one of the Heat’s most dependable scoring options during their improbable run to the conference final, and given how he played in the first two games, an offensive bounce-back is a good bet for Game 4.

Betting Pick: OVER 210.5 (-110)

Boston appears to have solved Miami’s stout defense, and the Heat will need to ratchet up the scoring accordingly – so we’re rolling with the OVER despite the Game 4 number being the highest of the series.