NBA Playoffs: Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics Game 5 Best Bets

The Boston Celtics got on the board in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, and now the series shifts back to the TD Garden for Game 5.

All odds courtesy of the FanDuel Sportsbook. 

What an interesting matchup this has been, with the underdog winning all four games. The Heat have surprised many people as the eighth seed in the East and sit just one win away from the NBA Finals. This is a well-coached team led by Erik Spoelstra; they play such a solid brand of team basketball. Still, the Celtics are the more talented group, which showed with their season on the line in Game 4. 

With the series returning to Boston for Game 5, the Celtics are listed as sizable favorites on the moneyline and spread. Boston is an eight-point favorite on the spread and a -330 favorite on the moneyline, while the Heat are +265. Can we trust Celtics at home? It’s a legitimate question. They’ve struggled at the TD Garden throughout the postseason, and if they hope to extend the series, they must make a statement at home.

Miami has done an excellent job of keeping games close in this series, so it’s not likely they get blown out tonight. As a result, back the visitors on the spread and potentially even outright. 

Best Bet: Heat +8 (-106) 

Looking at their four regular season matchups, they combined to score 215, 255, 236, and 193 points. In addition, the Heat and Celtics have combined to score 239, 216, 230, and 215 total points in this playoff series. The total for Game 5 is 215, with the over and under priced at -110. They have alternated high and low-scoring matchups, and after a low-scoring Game 4, expect more offense tonight. Both games in Boston exceeded the number, so we expect a similar result tonight.

Best Bet: Over 215 (-110) 

The Celtics will have to rely heavily on Jayson Tatum at both ends of the floor to extend the series. Tatum has been dynamic in the postseason, including this series, even if they trail Miami 3-1. He’s recorded 30, 34, 14, and 33 points in the four matchups. Tatum’s points prop is listed at 30.5 for Game 5, and we project him to go over the number at -122. 

Best Prop: Jayson Tatum to Record Over 30.5 Points (-122)