Celtics vs. Heat Game 3 Prediction
The Miami Heat will look to take a commanding 3-0 series lead against the Boston Celtics tonight when the two teams meet in Game 3 of the NBA’s Eastern Conference Finals at 8:30 p.m. ET. Will the Heat dominate defensively and pick up another win and cover?
Game Snap Shot
703 Boston Celtics (-3) vs. 704 Miami Heat (+3); o/u 206.5
8:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, September 19, 2020
NBA Eastern Conference Finals Game 3
Boston Celtics DFS Spin
Kemba Walker hit 9-of-19 shots and 4-of-11 3-pointers for 23 points, seven rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block with five turnovers in 34 minutes of Thursday’s 106-101 Game 2 loss to the Heat to fall into a 2-0 hole in the ECF. Walker went off in the first half and then kind of disappeared after the break when the Heat implemented a zone, stopped Kemba and won the third quarter 37-17 to overcome a 17-point deficit and get the win. Walker wasn’t very good in Game 1 (6-of-19 shooting) and looked a lot better tonight, but the Celtics couldn’t get it done down the stretch. Walker is going to have to play at a high level the rest of the way if the Celtics are going to come back and win this series.
Miami Heat DFS Spin
Jimmy Butler hit 4-of-11 shots and 6-of-6 free throws for 14 points, four rebounds, three assists and four steals as the Heat made a second-half comeback to beat the Celtics 106-101 to take a 2-0 lead in their ECF series. Butler missed his only 3-pointer and while his fantasy game was lacking tonight, he made some huge plays down the stretch, stealing the ball and feeding Jae Crowder for an easy layup and the final two free throws of the game to ice it. Fantasy-wise, Jimmy let his managers down tonight, but he deserves some credit for deferring to his teammates, playing hard and making huge plays when it mattered. The Heat truly play as a team and it could be a different guy stepping up offensively every night. Goran Dragic led the way with 25, Bam Adebayo had 21, Duncan Robinson bounced back for 18 points, Crowder added 12 points and three 3-pointers and Tyler Herro had 11 as the Heat put the Celtics in a serious hole on Thursday. The Heat are now an incredible 10-1 in these playoffs.
Celtics vs. Heat Game 3 Betting Prediction
The Heat are now 10-1 against the spread in their last 11 games overall and are 10-1 against the number in their last 11 games when facing an opponent with a winning percentage above .600. They’re also 9-1 against the number in their last 10 games when their opponent scored 100 points or more in its previous game and 8-1 at the betting window in their last nine games coming off an ATS win. Meanwhile, the Celtics are now just 2-5 against the spread in their last seven games when favored and are winless at 0-4 against the number in their last four Conference Finals games. If oddsmakers are going to keep giving us points with the underrated Heat, we might as well take them given Miami’s remarkable ATS record of late.
NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS GAME 3 PREDICTION: MIAMI HEAT +3