Celtics vs. Heat Wednesday Prediction
The Boston Celtics will look to win their sixth game of the season when they visit the Miami Heat on Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. ET. Will Jayson Tatum and the Celtics cover as a small road underdog or is there a better play on the board in tonight’s matchup?
Game Snapshot
517 Boston Celtics (+2.5) at 518 Miami Heat (-2.5); o/u 218
7:30 p.m. ET, Wednesday, January 6, 2021
Venue: AmericanAirlines Arena, Miami, FL
TV: ESPN
Boston Celtics DFS Spin
Jayson Tatum had 40 points on Monday, going 11-of-19 with five triples and a perfect 13-of-13 from the free throw line in the win. The 40-point effort was the third-such of Tatum’s career, the most by a player before turning 23 in Celtics history, per ESPN Stats & Info. He did so in just 32 minutes, by the way, adding six rebounds, two assists and two blocks to cap off his stellar night. His monster scoring effort came just one day after he had his career-high in assists, too. It’s going to be a great season for Tatum and his fantasy managers.
Miami Heat DFS Spin
Jimmy Butler (right ankle stiffness) struggled in his return vs. Dallas on Friday, shooting 0-of-6 for two points with three rebounds, two assists, two steals and three turnovers. Butler got hurt on Christmas Day and missed both sides of a back-to-back set vs. the Bucks earlier this week (Miami got crushed, 144-97, in Tuesday’s game but managed to split the series with a win on Wednesday). The Heat had an extremely short offseason and they won’t take any risks with Butler’s health, so his availability suggests the ankle injury won’t be a lasting concern even if it was the cause of his struggles tonight. He only played 27 minutes but gets two more days to rest, so his playing time (and scoring) should rise vs. the Thunder on Monday.
Celtics vs. Heat Betting Prediction
The Celtics are just 2-5 against the spread in their last seven games versus the Heat and are 2-5 against the number in their last seven road games. Boston is also just 1-5 against the number in its last six games playing on one day of rest, is 1-7 against the spread in its last eight games coming off an ATS win and is winless at the betting window in its last four games coming off a win of more than 10 points. The Heat, meanwhile, are 5-0 against the spread in their last five games as a home favorite, are 7-2 against the number in their last nine games as a favorite of any kind and have cashed in seven of their last nine home games as well.
NBA BETTING PREDICTION: MIAMI HEAT -2.5
