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The Eastern conference finals begin on Tuesday, May 17th when the Boston Celtics travel south to take on the Miami Heat. Tipoff from FTX Arena in Miami is set for 8:30 p.m. ET, and the game will air on ESPN.
The Celtics went 51-31 in the regular season and have taken down the Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks so far this postseason. The Heat went 53-29 and are coming off series wins against the Atlanta Hawks and Philadelphia 76ers.
At DraftKings Sportsbook, the Heat are 2-point favorites, and the point total is set at 204. Miami is the moneyline favorite at -130, making Boston the underdog installed at +110.
Update — Marcus Smart (foot) and Al Horford (protocols) have been ruled out for the Celtics for Game 1. The line has now moved to Heat -4, but the total has actually remained about the same and sits at 203.5.
Celtics vs. Heat, 8:30 p.m. ET
Pick ATS: Heat -2
The Celtics had the upper hand, winning two of the three games when these teams matched up in the regular season. The Heat haven’t lost at home this postseason, though, and they likely won’t start today. Boston pulled out two impressive wins to finish off the Bucks and will give Miami a challenge this series but Game 1 will go to the Heat.
Over/Under: Over 204
The score totals for the three games these teams played this season have been 173, 214 and 204. The way both have looked in the postseason, this should be an exciting, high-scoring affair. Even though they averaged 195 total points between their three regular-season games, this one should hit at least 205 combined points.
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