The Miami Heat are catching points at home in Wednesday's Game 5 against the Boston Celtics, with the series tied 2-2.
If it sounds odd for Miami to be the underdog this late in the series — much less during the postseason in general — that's because it is.
The Heat are the third No. 1 seed since 2005 — and the first in four years — to be listed a home underdog in Game 5, 6 or 7 of a postseason series.
The other two clubs were the 2018 Rockets in Game 5 against the Warriors (win) and the 2017 Celtics in Game 5 against the Cavaliers (loss).
Boston's painted -2.5 across the board after opening as a short one-point favorite.
Both Miami and Boston have been excellent bets against the spread all season long.
The Heat and Celtics rank fourth and fifth respectively in cover rate, entering Game 5 at 57.3% and 56.4%.
The two clubs have alternated wins, both straight-up and against the spread, in all four Eastern Conference Finals matchups.
Wednesday's clash marks the eighth between the two storied franchises in 2021-22, regular and postseason included.
The team that wins against the spread has provided a sweat-free victory in virtually every contest, covering by an average margin of 16.8 points per game.
After Boston took care of business in a 102-82 Game 4 rout, the public's back on the bandwagon, with two of every three betting tickets riding the Celtics minus the points tonight (you can check out all the public betting data here).
