The Boston Celtics will be looking to tally their first straight-up win in Miami since October 2017 when they continue a home-and-home series with the Heat on Wednesday night.
Boston hits the road for a pair of games after topping Miami 110-105 as seven-point home chalk on the NBA odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com on Monday to improve to 3-1 SU in four outings ahead of Wednesday night’s Celtics vs. Heat betting matchup at American Airlines Arena.
The Celtics have gained ground in the NBA Eastern Conference standings during their current 3-1 SU run, and now sit deadlocked with the Indiana Pacers for fourth place in the conference. In addition, Boston remains 3 1/2 games back of third-place Philadelphia with just four games remaining on the regular season schedule.
While the team is far from assured of home court in a likely first-round playoff matchup with the Pacers, it has remained resilient on the NBA futures, closely trailing the favorites as a +450 wager to win the Eastern Conference.
However, the Celtics face a difficult week ahead before they can turn their focus to the postseason. With just three SU victories in their past eight outings, the team has yet to establish much needed momentum ahead of their upcoming playoff drive.
Boston also has been a dismal performer at the sportsbooks, covering just twice in its past nine outings, extending a shaky against the spread run to 5-13-1 over its past 19 games, according to the OddsShark NBA Database.
And while the Celtics are a respectable 4-3-1 ATS in their past eight road dates, they have proven to be an unreliable wager when facing the Heat, failing to cover in five straight meetings, and going 1-7-0 ATS in their past eight.
In addition, the Celtics have been outclassed on the hardwood in recent trips to South Florida, losing outright in their past two road dates with the Heat, capped by lopsided 115-99 defeat as 2.5-point chalk at betting sites Jan. 10.
With a slender grasp on the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, the Heat return home looking to avoid consecutive SU losses for the first time since late February.
Miami has climbed back into the playoff picture during a solid 12-6 SU run, but remains just a half-game up on ninth-place Orlando in the playoff hunt. Not surprisingly, the Heat’s precarious playoff positioning has taken a toll on their odds to win the Eastern Conference, which lag at a distant +6500.
Following Wednesday’s clash in Miami, the Celtics travel to Indiana for a showdown with the Pacers on Friday, and return home to take on the Magic on Sunday before closing out their regular-season schedule in Washington next Tuesday.
