Public Loves This Celtics Starter, Heat Entering East Finals Game 2

BOSTON — There are two schools of thought when it comes to betting on Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals between the Celtics and Heat.

The majority of bettors will be looking to ride Miami’s momentum, as the Heat walked into TD Garden and beat the Celtics into submission in Game 1. There’s also a school of though that favors Boston, with some believing the C’s are do for a bounce-back performance.

Which way of thinking is right, though? Well, neither.

That’s why the betting public is sprinkling money on both.

The Heat have commanded the majority of bets on the spread and moneyline, according to BetMGM data analyst John Ewing. Miami is responsible for 69% of bets and 55% of the handle on the 8.5-point spread, and 79% of bets and 64% of the handle on the moneyline. A lot of that has to do with hefty spread and the +310 odds the Heat are boasting.

The Celtics aren’t being faded completely, though.

Al Horford of all people has commanded the most bets of any individual player, with BetMGM giving him 12-1 odds to score the first field goal of the game. Jayson Tatum, less surprisingly, is third on the list of most bet on players, as people expect him to surpass 29.5 points. Derrick White slots in just behind Tatum, as the public expects him to surpass 8.5 points.

There can be only one winner between the Celtics and Heat, but the betting public sees value in both.