Two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference square off in Miami on Sunday, as the Boston Celtics try to maintain their current dominance over the Miami Heat.
The Celtics are 9-1 SU and 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games against the Heat and the last time they met up in Boston on February 13 the Celtics escaped with an 85-82 win as a 3-point underdog. Rajon Rondo produced a triple-double for the Celtics with 11 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, while LeBron James led the HEat with 22 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.
View Boston vs Miami Odds and Stats.
Betting Line:
On the Sportsbook line for this matchup, the Heat sat as 5.5-point favorites. The total had been pegged by the oddsmakers at 185.
Power Rankings / Prediction:
This game matches up the No. 3 (Heat) and the No. 11 (Celtics) teams in the league, according to our current NBA Power Rankings at Odds Shark. A 103-102 result in favor of the Heat is predicted by handicapping models.
How They Match Up:
The game also pits Miami's No. 8-ranked offense, averaging 102.2 PPG, against a Celtics defense that ranks No. 1 at 90.8 PPG. The Heat field goal percentage has averaged 48.1% so far, less than the Celtics shooters have achieved on the year, 48.7% per game.
Defensively, the Celtics feature the league's No. 1-rated defense on the road, allowing 90.6 points per game. Miami, meanwhile, comes in at No. 9 in the league in scoring at home.
In their last action, Boston was a 104-88 Sportsbook at home against the Wizards. They covered the 13.5–point spread as favorites, while the combined score (192) was profitable news for UNDER bettors. The Celtics got a 22-point performance from Paul Pierce, who added 12 rebounds as Boston ran past Washington 104-88 on Friday at TD Garden.
Last time out for Miami, they were a 112-103 Sportsbook as they battled the Bobcats at home. The Heat failed to cover in the match as a 14-point favorite, while 215 combined points moved the game OVER for totals bettors. Miami got 27 points from Dwyane Wade en route to a 112-103 victory over Charlotte on Friday at AmericanAirlines Arena.
Boston Celtics Trends:
When playing on Sunday are 6-4
Before playing Washington are 7-3
After playing Washington are 6-4
After a win are 3-7
Miami Heat Trends:
When playing on Sunday are 6-4
Before playing Atlanta are 4-6
After playing Charlotte are 7-3
After a win are 7-3
A few Celtics at Heat trends to consider:
Boston is 12-1 SU in its last 13 games when playing Miami
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Boston's last 6 games when playing on the road against Miami
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of Boston's last 17 games
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Boston's last 11 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Miami's last 6 games when playing at home against Boston
Miami is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games
Miami is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
Miami is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Boston
Next up:
Boston at Washington, Monday, April 11
Miami at Atlanta, Monday, April 11
