The Miami Heat will be looking to run their winning streak against the Boston Celtics to four games both SU and ATS as those Eastern Conference clubs hit the hardwood on Sunday afternoon.
Miami thumped Boston 120-107 as a 6-point home favorite on the NBA betting odds at the sportsbooks back on October 30, making them 3-0 both SU and ATS over their past three meetings. The OVER has paid out in four of the last five Heat/Celtics matchups.
The Heat will try to spoil to the party on Sunday; they are 20-20 ATS against the number this season, while the Celtics are 15-25-3 ATS. (Note: follow us on Twitter for line updates and injuries news). Miami is 19-21 on the totals; Boston is 20-22-1.
View Miami vs Boston Odds and Stats.
Betting Line:
For bettors going with the Celtics in this one, they were listed earlier as 4-point underdogs on the betting line at Sportsbook. Totals bettors have seen that number set at 188.5 for Monday at shops such as Sportsbook.
Power Rankings / Prediction:
This game pits the Celtics, currently No. 23 in the Odds Shark NBA Power Rankings, against the Heat, who rate No. 9 in the most recent survey. Meanwhile, math and computer handicapping models run on this game predict a 104-96 victory for the Heat.
How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Boston's No. 22-ranked offense (95 PPG) against a Heat defense that ranks No. 13 at 96.9 PPG. The Celtics have averaged 45.7% from the field per game, less than the Heat have managed so far this season (49.1% on average).
Defensively, the Heat feature the league's No. 11-rated defense on the road, giving up 97.7 points per game. Boston, meanwhile, comes in at No. 20 in the league in scoring at home.
In their last action, Miami was a 110-88 Sportsbook at home against the Pistons. They covered the 9.5-point spread as favorites, while the combined score (198) was profitable news for OVER bettors. Miami cruised to victory on Friday, running Detroit out of the gym and running up a 110-88 score at AmericanAirlines Arena.
The Celtics were a 123-111 loser in their most recent outing on the road against the Hawks. They failed to cover the 5.5-point spread as underdogs, while the total score (234) made Sportsbooks of OVER bettors. The Celtics got a 24-point performance from Kevin Garnett, who added 10 rebounds, but Atlanta still ran past Boston 123-111 on Friday at Philips Arena.
Miami Heat Trends:
When playing on Sunday are 5-5
Before playing Brooklyn are 8-2
After playing Detroit are 6-4
After a win are 6-4
Boston Celtics Trends:
When playing on Sunday are 5-5
Before playing Sacramento are 6-4
After playing Atlanta are 8-2
After a loss are 2-8
A few Heat at Celtics trends to consider:
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Miami's last 7 games when playing Boston
Miami is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Miami's last 10 games when playing on the road against Boston
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Miami's last 6 games
Boston is 15-2 SU in its last 17 games when playing at home against Miami
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Boston's last 8 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Boston's last 7 games when playing Miami
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Boston's last 17 games
Next up:
Miami at Brooklyn, Wednesday, January 30
Boston home to Sacramento, Wednesday, January 30
