The NBA Playoffs continue Tuesday night in Game 5 between the visiting Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat. The NBA Playoff odds for the game have the visiting Heat favored by 8 points. The game is scheduled for an 8:30 pm start time and it will be televised live on ESPN. The spread shows that bookmakers have a prediction of a comfortable win at home for the Heat.
Picks: The Celtics held off the Heat in both Games 3 and 4 to creep back into the series overall and now have pulled even. In addition to just having drama between the two clubs, we also have some added interest with whether or not Chris Bosh will be able to play. He seems and claims he is ready to come back, but just how far along is the big man for Miami? It certainly appears he'd be able to make a much bigger impact defensively. Boston says it won't matter whether he plays or not, they've been preparing for each game like he already was playing. "We don't have to do anything different," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "We've prepared every game like Bosh is going to play. And eventually, he will." Of the 101 minutes of game time in Boston, the Heat led for exactly six of those minutes. The Celtics have also led by at least 15 points in each of the last three games, so in reality they could hold a 3-1 series edge. They almost lost Game 4 despite holding an 18-point advantage — twice — over Miami, which had a shot to win the game late, but Dwyane Wade's 3-pointer fell off target. Another interesting note: Boston's Paul Pierce fouled out for the third time in the last five games. In the first 122 games of his career, Pierce fouled out only three times. Even LeBron James picked up six fouls for the first time in his 107 playoff games. Rajon Rondo was quoted more than once complaining about the officiating and the Heat. We'll see tonight how it affects both teams. Boston, with it's core group of guys currently on the roster, has played in eight 2-2 series games during their time. In each of those eight games, they picked up a win in Game 5.
Predictions: We will take the eight points given to us by oddsmakers. That line just doesn't seem right, especially with how physical the game has become between the two clubs. It's been noted that Boston plays extremely well in Game 5 situations and I'm not expecting anything different from tonight's contest. The Thunder went on the road and beat the Spurs in San Antonio last night, could we see the same happen tonight in this series? I don't think Boston will win this game, but they are going to keep it close overall. Heat 94, Celtics 90
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NBA Free Picks: Boston Celtics at Miami Heat - Game 5 Betting
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