Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals was exactly what the Boston Celtics needed it to be, a beautiful 127-102 destruction of a Miami Heat team that was riding high from being on the right side of a 118-107 double-digit win themselves in the series opener.
Marcus Smart and the ‘Jays’ pitched in the kind of efforts required from a core that made over $66 million this past season. That number goes north of $70 million next season, so the 76 points the trio scored in the series-shifting Game 2 victory is sigh-of-relief inspiring.
Outside of Jimmy Butler, no Heat player scored 15 points on Thursday night. The lack of any role players stepping up–and the lack of Kyle Lowry so far in the postseason at all–has Miami sitting as a decent-sized underdog in Game 3. Lowry may suit up for the first time Saturday night, though, with his status currently listed as questionable.
With the series emanating from 100 Legends Way in Boston, Massachusetts for the next two games, home-court advantage is the Celtics’ to lose. Will they? Or will an Eastern Conference championship that’s eluded the Cs for over a decade finally be attained?
Hardwood Houdini has your odds, over/under points total, and a prediction for Saturday night’s action on ABC:
Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat odds, spread, over/under
According to WynnBet, the Celtics are 6.5-point favorites against the Heat at home. Miami is a +215 underdog on the road, with the Cs moneyline set at -265. The over/under for the game has been placed at 207.5 points.
Celtics vs. Heat prediction
With a pretty sizable spread for the third clash between these two teams, Vegas loves Boston’s potential to put on another beatdown as the series shifts to Beantown.
The Houdini does as well.
This could be another blowout in a series that hasn’t seen these two teams close on the scoreboard very often.