Ahead of the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals, Boston was positioned between -500 and -550 to advance to the NBA finals for a second consecutive season. However, Boston Celtics odds are no longer “favorable.” Let’s break down the Game 4 betting market for Celtics vs. Heat, which currently has Miami priced at . The total is set at .
Click on any of the Heat – Celtics odds in this article to place a wager.
Game 4: Heat vs. Celtics Odds
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Celtics’ Odds & Game 4 Betting Predictions
Throughout the playoffs, the notion has existed among NBA bettors that Boston’s defense isn’t nearly as robust as what the 2022 Eastern Conference champs brought to the table. It’s certainly rung true over the first three games in this series, as Miami has averaged 1.24 PPP.
Pundits have pointed to the shift from ex-Celtics head coach Ime Udoka to Joe Mazzulla. Udoka was officially let go on Feb. 16 after an alleged workplace affair led to a suspension in September. In his lone season at the helm, Boston tallied the league’s top-rated defense efficiency.
Moreover, the Celtics’ offensive execution has come under fire, especially regarding its stars. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have combined to manufacture a grand total of four FGA across every fourth-quarter frame in the series. Even if you factor in the blowout nature of Game 3, it’s still extremely alarming.
The two have each played a role in Boston’s collective turnover woes to boot. Specifically, they’ve appeared irrationally ill-prepared when the Heat have utilized a matchup zone, leading to these blunders. Granted, Miami coach Erik Spoelstra is an elite defensive schemer. Neither Brown nor Tatum lacks a robust offensive skillset to dissect this setup, though.
Related: NBA Finals Odds
Evaluating Game 4 Odds
If you don’t believe a 3-0 series deficit — coupled with a heavily-scrutinized coach — will get in the way of a competitive contest on Tuesday evening, then there’s room to argue that the Game 4 spread adjustment () is too substantial.
After all, the Celtics closed as a 4.5-point road favorite in Game 3. The market was on their side, shifting a full point in their favor on Sunday afternoon. If you’d rather take a plus-money stab at Boston on the moneyline, the best available odds are .
There’s also the factor of whether shooting regression will occur in time to save the Celtics’ season. On the surface, the Miami Heat boast a 47.5% perimeter clip over the first three games. Jimmy Butler, Max Strus, Caleb Martin & Co. are also hitting 58.8% (on 34 attempts) on wide-open 3-point attempts — with at least six feet of space.
On the flip side, Boston owns a 32.6% clip (on 43 attempts) in those situations. If Tatum, Brown, and the rest of the Celtics marksmen shake off their shooting slump (while receiving much-needed negative variance from their opponent), we may be breaking down a Game 5 NBA odds board for Thursday evening.
For context, 149 teams have been dealt a 3-0 series deficit in a seven-game NBA playoffs series. Of those instances, 14 of them went onto emerge victorious in at least two games while three have won three straight games to force a decisive Game 7. That includes the 2003 Portland Trail Blazers, 1994 Denver Nuggets, and the 1951 New York Knicks.
However, none of them managed to fully recover. For bettors who believe the Celtics will come back and win the East, the best price is at FanDuel Sportsbook (+800).
Heat vs. Celtics Odds: NBA Player Props
How to Watch Heat vs. Celtics
This game is set to tip off at 8:30 p.m. EST on Tuesday. You can catch all of the action on TNT.
Celtics’ Odds: Sports Betting Promos
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