The Boston Celtics (37-16) and Miami Heat (25-25) will meet in the NBA this evening. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. The game will broadcast live on NBA League Pass.
The Celtics are 5.5-point favorites over the Heat on the spread, with the over/under set at 216.5 total points. Boston is a -218 favorite to win outright, while Miami is +180 to pull off the upset.
Let's get to my Celtics vs. Heat predictions and NBA picks for Monday, February 10.
Celtics vs Heat Prediction
Spread
Staying away from the spread in this one for a few reasons. Chief among them, injuries.
As of this writing, Jrue Holiday and Torrey Craig are questionable.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are also listed as questionable, and Kristaps Porzingis was a late scratch against the Knicks on Saturday night. Although, he's not listed on the injury report as of this morning.
For the Heat, Jaime Jaquez is questionable with an illness and Nikola Jovic is probable to play through an ankle injury. Additionally, we're expecting the Heat debuts of Andrew Wiggins, Davion Mitchell and Kyle Anderson.
The expectation is that sooner than later, Wiggins plays a sizable role for the team, but we don't know who that will be in place of yet.
Though, the logical place to insert him would be starting at small forward in the frontcourt with Bam Adebayo and Kel'el Ware. Tyler Herro would obviously start at guard, likely with Duncan Robinson. However, his minutes aren't always consistent.
Moneyline
This is a Heat-or-nothing moneyline spot for me, just because the Celtics are (rightfully) in -220 range.
Boston has been better on the road than at home, so it appears viable in a parlay, if anything.
Over/Under
New infusion of Heat talent makes this a tough one. Eventually, Wiggins and Mitchell, in particular, will help the Heat gear toward a more defensive identity if they get the requisite minutes.
They have a top-10 defense this season numerically, but are closer to 20th when matched up with top 10 offenses.
Boston games have gone over in seven of their last 10, and 219 marks their lowest pregame total since January 23.
My Pick: Kel'el Ware Over 18.5 Points + Rebounds (-120)
Celtics vs Heat Odds, Lines, Picks
| Celtics Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-5.5 -110 | 216.5 -110 / -110 | -218 |
| Heat Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+5.5 -110 | 216.5 -110 / -110 | +180 |
- Celtics vs. Heat spread: Celtics -5.5
- Celtics vs. Heat over/under: 216.5 total points
- Celtics vs. Heat moneyline: Celtics -218, Heat +180
- Celtics vs. Heat best bet: Kel'el Ware Over 18.5 Points + Rebounds
My Heat vs. Celtics best bet is on Kel'el Ware Over 18.5 Points + Rebounds, with the best line currently available at DraftKings. But as always, make sure to shop for the best line using our live NBA odds page.
Boston Celtics vs Miami Heat NBA Preview
In this game, I like Kel'el Ware to go Over 18.5 Points + Rebounds (PR), which I played on FanDuel.
It's one of the only bets that might not be determined by all of the moving parts alluded to earlier regarding injuries, new talent injections, etc.
Ware has recorded double-digit boards in four straight and in seven of his last nine. He's gone over 18.5 PR in six of his last 10.
Per 100 possessions, the Celtics allow the fifth-most two-point attempts and 10th-most rebounds in the league.
Boston has also allowed opponents to take 59.6% of their shots from inside the arc, the fourth-most in the league, and the 11th most (22.1) of those shots from 3-to-10 feet, where Ware takes about 35% of his shots, the most of any area of the floor.
Celtics vs Heat Best Bet
- Kel'el Ware Over 18.5 Points + Rebounds (-120)
Celtics vs Heat Betting Trends
