The Boston Celtics and Miami Heat may be right next to each other in the Eastern Conference standings, but they have vastly different ceilings. Boston is in fifth place in the East but still has designs of winning an NBA title this year, while Miami is more of a .500 team.
The Celtics have the more talented team but Miami is at home so this could be a close game. Boston would love to win the East but needs to start making up ground on the teams above it in the standings. The Heat has struggled at home this year and needs to turn that around in order to solidify its playoff standings in NBA gambling.
This NBA basketball game between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat will be held at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, January 10th, 2019. The game will be nationally televised on TNT.
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Odds Analysis
The Celtics have a record of 23-15 on the year, which is below expectations but still in the hunt for one of the top seeds in the East. Boston has won half of their 20 games on the road this season and has the ability to capture this matchup.
Miami is 19-19 on the season and has played well lately with seven wins in its past 10 affairs. The Heat is only 9-11 at home on the season, one of the few teams fighting for the postseason with a below .500 mark at home on the season.
Injury Report
Celtics star point guard Kyrie Irving missed two recent games with an eye injury but has returned to the court and should be good to go for this one. He is the team’s best player and the one Boston will rely on to help it make a deep postseason run.
Irving is averaging 23.1 points, 6.6 assists and 4.9 rebounds per contest. Irving is shooting 48.8 percent from the floor and 40.8 percent from three-point range, which are a pair of impressive marks for a point guard.
Irving was solid in his return to action on Monday against the Nets, scoring 17 points, handing out six assists and registering three steals in 28 minutes of action. He should play a pivotal role in this one.
Key Stat
106. Both of these defenses are keeping opponents to under that total in 2018-19, which is certainly something to keep in mind when it comes to the over/under. Boston is allowing 105.6 points per game and Miami 105.8, bucking the trend of NBA teams scoring more and more points.
With each side comfortable playing a halfcourt game, good shots will be at a premium. Boston scores more than five points per game higher than the Heat on the season, which isn’t a surprise considering the Celtics have the more talented players.
Free NBA ATS Picks
The Heat is the very definition of a .500 team, as it has middle of the road talent and the advanced numbers also agree this team is basically playing to its potential. Teams like this are dangerous at home and Miami should begin to improve its record at American Airlines Arena.
However, the Celtics are clearly the superior team, and the return of Irving is a big help as Boston aims for the crucial road win. The Celtics are likely to push closer to the top of the East by year’s end and a win in this one will help toward that goal in NBA odds.
NBA ATS Pick: Boston Celtics 110, Miami Heat 105
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