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The Miami Heat (24-20) hope to stop their skid from worsening when they host the NBA-leading Boston Celtics (34-10) for an Eastern Conference matchup on Thursday, Jan 25 at 7:30 p.m. ET.
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) January 25, 2024
The Heat’s losing streak was extended to four games with Wednesday’s uninspiring 105-96 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. Meanwhile, the Celtics were last in action on Monday as they picked up a 119-110 victory over the Dallas Mavericks, marking the fifth win in their last six games.
Bovada’s futures markets clearly favor one team over the other when it comes to a potential championship run. Boston is currently the +300 odds-on favorite to win the 2023-24 NBA Finals while Miami is currently 10th at +2800 odds.
With plenty of betting opportunities on the table heading into this matchup, keep scrolling through this Celtics vs. Heat betting preview for my predictions and best bets tonight.
Celtics vs Heat NBA Betting Tonight (1/25)
Celtics vs Heat Matchup Information
- Matchup: Boston Celtics (34-10, 14-9 Away) vs. Miami Heat (24-20, 12-9 Home)
- Venue & Location: Kaseya Center (Miami, FL)
- Date: Thursday, Jan. 25, 2023
- Game Time: 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time
- How to Watch Celtics vs. Heat: TNT
Celtics vs Heat Odds & Spread
Heat vs. Celtics odds are courtesy of BetOnline as of Thursday, Jan. 25 at 9:05 a.m. ET. Odds from other top online sportsbooks may also be mentioned in this article.
Celtics vs Heat Spread
- Boston Celtics -7.5 (-115)
- Miami Heat +7.5 (-105)
Heat vs Celtics Over/Under
- Over 224 Points (-110)
- Under 224 Points (-110)
Celtics vs Heat Moneyline
- Boston Celtics (-310)
- Miami Heat (+260)
NBA Best Bets and Picks Tonight
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Celtics vs Heat NBA Betting Trends
- Boston is 4-1 straight up in its last five games vs. Miami.
- Miami is 14-6 straight up in its last 20 games played on Thursday.
- Boston is 6-12 ATS in its last 18 games played in January.
- Miami is 1-4 ATS in its last five games as the underdog.
- The total hit the Under in five of Boston’s last six road games.
- The total hit the Under in six of Miami’s last seven home games vs. Boston.
Celtics vs Heat Prediction & Picks (1/25): Will Miami’s Skid Worsen?
It’ll be interesting to see how the Heat perform tonight after suffering a one-sided loss less than 24 hours ago. Unfortunately, quick turnarounds haven’t worked much in their favor this season, proven by their 2-3 SU record when playing with zero days of rest.
Things get even tougher when you consider that the Heat now must go up against the NBA’s best team. The Celtics are among the top squads in most statistical categories, including points per game (4th), offensive efficiency (2nd), defensive efficiency (2nd), average scoring margin (1st), and rebounds (3rd), just to name a few.
Additionally, Boston knows how to handle itself on the road where it boasts a 14-9 SU record and a plus-5.0 average scoring margin (3rd). If that isn’t concerning enough for the Heat, the Celtics have also emerged victorious in eight of their last 11 away contests and have even won three straight heading into tonight’s tilt.
The Celtics have several advantages tonight, including when it comes to their 55.4 RPG (3rd) compared to the Heat’s 49.8 RPG (26th).
The Celtics are also one of the most dangerous teams on the perimeter, averaging 16.2 threes made (1st) on 37.8% shooting (6th). Although the Heat have been fairly average at defending the three-ball this season, their last three opponents averaged 13.7 3PM with a 41.4% success rate, meaning the door is open for Boston to have some outside success.
I’m having difficulty believing that the Heat can hang with the Celtics in their current form. If losing four straight games wasn’t bad enough, Miami was held to 97 or fewer points in three of those contests. For comparison, Boston has only been held to fewer than 100 points once this season.
The Heat have struggled to produce results against the Celtics recently, going 1-4 SU while averaging only 102.6 PPG with a minus-4.0 margin in the last five meetings between these teams. That includes when Boston notched a 119-111 victory in the first 2023-24 back on Oct. 27.
Do the Heat have what it takes to exact revenge for October’s loss to the Celtics?
With the way the Heat have played over the last week or so, I don’t see the Celtics losing tonight. Joe Mazzulla’s team is, arguably, the best in the league and knows not only how to produce results on the road, but against Miami, too. If the Celtics can get off to a hot start — especially on the perimeter — it’s going to be a long night for a Heat team that is struggling to score.
With that being said, let’s also take the Celtics on the spread. The Heat just can’t be trusted on the spread, going 0-4-1 ATS in their last five games as well as 1-4 ATS in their five previous outings as the underdog. It doesn’t help that Miami has also lost three of its last four outings by nine or more points.
Considering how the Celtics won by eight when these teams last met a few months ago, I’m confident in the visitors’ ability to cover again.
Celtics vs Heat Prediction: BOS wins
Best Celtics vs Heat NBA Bet: BOS -7.5 (-115)
Get 50% up to $1,000 on this pick over on BetOnline
Best Celtics vs Heat NBA Prop Bet (1/25)
After doing some browsing, I’m going with Derrick White to hit over 2.5 three-pointers as the best Celtics vs. Heat player prop.
White is having a career year from downtown, averaging personal bests in threes made (2.7) and three-point percentage (40.4%). When it comes to this prop, he’s hit the Over 19 times in 40 appearances. He’s also hit the Over in four of his last five outings, averaging 3.4 3PM with a 39.5 3P%.
As mentioned before, the Heat have been horrible at defending the three-ball lately and also surrender the most threes made to shooting guards. In other words, White is in a good spot to have another productive shooting night.