Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals takes place on Wednesday as the Boston Celtics take on the Miami Heat. The game is scheduled for an 8:30 pm start time and it will be televised live on ESPN. Currently the odds have Miami favored by 8 points with the total sitting at 177 points for the contest.
Free Analysis: The Boston Celtics can still accomplish what they set out to do in South Florida in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals, but the odds are long unless Doc Rivers' club can curb some of the production coming from LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. James hit 13 of 22 shots in Game 1 and also had 13 rebounds and three blocks in a solid all-around performance. He has 19 career 30-point, 10-rebound postseason efforts, which ranks third among active players behind Tim Duncan (31) and Dirk Nowitzki (29). Wade added 22 points and seven assists for Miami, which never trailed in the contest and led by as many as 17. Shane Battier scored 10 points, Mario Chalmers had nine and Mike Miller finished with eight for the Heat. The Heat persevered again without forward Chris Bosh, who remains out with a strained abdominal muscle. They have won four straight games without their All-Star big man, including three in a row against the Pacers to clinch a second straight conference finals appearance. There is no timetable for Bosh's return. Forward Kevin Garnett posted his 10th double-double of the postseason with 23 points and 10 rebounds but fellow veterans Paul Pierce and Ray Allen had poor showings in the opener. Pierce was just 5 of 18 from the field while scoring 12 points and Allen was 1 of 7 from the field and a shocking 3 of 7 from the free-throw line while tallying just six points. Allen continues to be plagued with an ankle injury that is affecting his ability to push off while shooting. Rajon Rondo, the catalyst in the series-clinching win against the Sixers, finished with 16 points, nine rebounds and seven assists on Monday. The Celtics scored 35 points in the second quarter, which proved to be their most productive stretch of the game -- they scored 11 in the opening frame and 33 in the entire second half. Additionally, they shot 59.1 percent in the second quarter, compared to 39.5 percent mark for the game, while getting eight points from both Pierce and Rondo. Boston had some success against the Heat in the regular season, winning three of four, including one in South Florida. This is the third straight season that the Heat and Celtics are meeting in the playoffs. Boston won in five games in 2010 in the first round and the Heat won in five last year in the semifinals.
Free Pick: I'm going to go right back to the Over in this one, despite losing on the Over in game 1. For much of game 1 the teams were on pace for 180+ points as they were running a bit, but then from the later part of quarter 3 on the Celtics forgot how to score and the game landed at 172 points. That still not much off of tonight's total and I feel the game will also be a bit closer so we should get the FT's at the end as well. Miami home games have averaged 188.4 ppg this year, while Boston's road games have averaged 183.3 ppg, so 180+ is more than possible for this one. During the regular season, both games played here between these teams put up 222 points and while I don't expect that many points in this one, I do expect both teams to push tempo and have the scoring well into the 180's.
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NBA Free Picks: Boston Celtics at Miami Heat - Game 2 Betting
What NBA bettors need to know about Celtics at Heat Game 2 - Including a free best bet from Pregame.com's Vegas Runner & Marco D'Angelo!