Ala Hann Sport picks

The Heat vs. Celtics odds which might have existed at the beginning of this series are now stacked in favor of one team and one team only. A lot of NBA betting aficionados had good reason to think that Miami and Boston would wage war for at least six games if not seven, but now there’s a fair chance that this series could end in five. The Celtics have taken a commanding 2-0 lead in this best-of-seven affair, and with the scene shifting to the American Airlines Arena in South Florida, everyone’s wondering if the home team can… well… handle the Heat. It’s clear that Boston can, after all.

Eastern Conference First Round: Boston @ Miami, Game 3

Friday, April 23

Bookmaker Odds: No line (as of yet)

If sports betting experts are talking about this series between the fourth-seeded Celtics and the fifth-seeded Heat, they can’t be saying anything good about Miami’s chances to advance to the second round. It’s become very obvious at this point that the Heat are a one-man gang, with Dwyane Wade being the only man who can command any respect and attention from the Celtics. No one else on the Miami roster has struck fear into the hearts of the C’s, who are still a pale imitation of their former selves but appear headed for a date with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Miami had a great chance to steal Game 1 in Boston. The Heat lead by 14 points midway through the third quarter, and a Celtics team that lost seven of its last 10 regular-season contests was continuing to play as though it had been stuck in molasses. Suddenly and surprisingly, however, Boston was able to mount a massive rally behind a defense that suddenly flashed championship-level form. The Heat were held to 10 points in the fourth quarter, and even though Kevin Garnett excused himself from Game 2 by throwing an elbow at Miami’s Quentin Richardson, Boston regained some of its long-missing swagger.

Despite Boston’s resurgence, the NBA playoff odds suggested a close game, if nothing else, in Game 2 of this series on Tuesday night. A Garnett-free Boston lineup was playing on its home court, but Miami’s biggest troubles exist in the paint, not on the perimeter. Therefore, Garnett’s absence figured to benefit the Heat.

Instead, Miami performed a face-plant, an embarrassing and lifeless display in which Boston uncorked separate scoring runs of 21 and 18 points. That’s right, Boston unleashed a 21-0 run in the first half and an 18-0 burst in the second to demolish the Heat by a 106-77 score. It’s ludicrous to think that Miami can win four out of the next five games.

With that having been established, though, the question for Game 3 is this: Will the Heat continue to fold the tent, paving the way for a possible Celtic sweep? The verdict here is that while Boston is a lock to win the series, it’s not going to be a four-game stroll. Game 3 figures to be the one occasion when Miami – having been humiliated on Tuesday – will play with passion. The Heat’s role players should fare much better at home. Take Boston in five games now; there shouldn’t be a seven-game drama in this first-round series. A five-game series does mean, though, that Miami will grab one contest. Game 3 will be the Heat’s last victory of the season.

Online basketball betting pick: Miami