NBA Playoffs betting on Monday includes Game 2 in Boston between the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics. The Celtics are favored in basketball betting in this game but many of the trends point to Miami. NBA Playoffs betting is featured on TNT a lot this week including this game between Miami and Boston. It is a matchup of the fourth and fifth seeds in the Eastern Conference. The Heat have Dwyane Wade while the Celtics have Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo. Miami ended the regular season playing better than Boston and the Heat were a very good team down the stretch on the road. In fact, they were 7-1 ATS in their last 8 road games during the regular season.
In Game 2 of an NBA Playoffs betting series sometimes you have to throw out what happened in Game 1 and look at the overall numbers. The first game is a feeling out process for both teams and it is Game 2 that oftentimes dictates how a series will go. Miami has the ability to win this series if they can get other players besides Wade involved in the offense.
The time to take Boston is usually not when they are a home favorite. The Celtics were simply abysmal in the regular season laying points at home. They are 19-42 ATS in their last 61 games as a home favorite. Boston had covered the basketball betting line in seven of the last ten against Miami before this series began.
With Miami and Boston both playing solid defense it would make sense this would be a low scoring series. The Heat went under the total in eight of their last eleven regular season games as an underdog. On the road they went under in 11 of their last 17 road games. Boston had some different lineups down the stretch during the regular season and actually went over the total in their last five home games. Before this series began, five of the last six between the two teams had gone over.
Miami actually finished the regular season with the second best defense in the league. That is a major surprise but defense wins games in the NBA. The Heat did struggle at times on offense though. The Celtics were 5th in the league on defense so Miami may have their difficulties in this series as well.