The Boston Celtics’ odds to beat the Miami Heat in the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals are outrageously high. but there are other, more worthwhile wagers to make ahead of the series. Here are seven bets to know at the DraftKings Sportsbook before Game 1 of the C’s and Heat in the east final…
To win the series: Celtics -525, Heat +400
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That’s just ridiculous. To be clear, the Celtics SHOULD win the series, but this is a Heat team that took them to seven games just last year, in this same series. Big difference is the C’s have home court now, so a Game 7 would be in Boston.
But, clearly, don’t touch -525. If you feel like gamblin’, the Heat are +400 to win the series. That seems worth a buck for a long shot.
Jayson Tatum to score 45+ in a game: +600
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Now seems like a good time to strike with this particular player prop. Tatum is coming off a 51-point performance against the Sixers, a new NBA record for a Game 7. He’s scored over 45 points three times in his playoff career, once in each of the past three seasons.
And this doesn’t have to be in Game 1, it can happen at any point in the series. For this particular feat, +600 feels like good odds.
Game 1 spread: Celtics -7.5, -110
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Even if the Celtics dispatch of the Heat in less than seven games, I personally expect the individual contests to be relatively close and competitive. The Heat have a major coaching advantage with Erik Spoelstra against Joe Mazzulla, which should close the gap a bit on the floor.
So, I expect tight, lower-scoring games. For that reason, in this pick’em for Game 1, I’m taking the points.
Celtics over/under 109.5 points: -115
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See above. For the same reason I’m taking the spread to be under eight points, I’m betting the Celtics to score under 110 points in Game 1.
Maybe they pop for a higher-scoring effort in a later game, but just because Jayson Tatum and the C’s are rolling after demolishing the 76ers in Game 7, it wouldn’t shock me if the opposite happened against the Heat and everything slowed down.
Tatum over 3.5 three-pointers in Game 1: +110
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Same principle as Tatum scoring 45-plus at some point. His three-point barrage at the end of Game 6 against the 76ers felt like an awakening of sorts for Tatum, who had been struggling for multiple games.
Tatum went 6-for-10 from downtown in Game 7, so at the moment, he feels like a good bet to once again attempt a lot of triples in Game 1 and get more than three to fall.
Al Horford over 1.5 blocks: +135
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Horford is feelin’ it at the defensive end right now. He stifled Joel Embiid and the 76ers down low in Game 7 on Sunday, and averaged 2.5 blocks over the last four games of the series.
I expect Horford to dial in again to start against the Heat, so I’m taking the plus money for him to block at least two shots in Game 1.
Predict The Exact Score
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This is a fun one: you can bet on the exact score of Game 1. My official prediction: Celtics 105, Heat 102. That’s at +17000. The “best” odds are for the C’s to win 108-102, which is at +14000.
Might as well throw a buck on it and see what happens.