The NBA’s Eastern Conference Finals tip-off Tuesday night as the Miami Heat host the Boston Celtics. While the Heat are short favorites for the opener, the Celtics are series favorites, which is pretty unusual against the conference’s top seed.

Sports fans in south Florida got a bit of a raw deal on Tuesday. Why? Because the Eastern Conference NHL second-round series between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers also begins Tuesday night. The Panthers asked the league to let them open that series on Wednesday to avoid a conflict with the basketball but it wasn’t granted. ESPN contractually had the right to pick the NHL Eastern Conference semifinals of its choice and took Rangers-Hurricanes over Panthers-Lightning and thus Rangers-Hurricanes will start Wednesday instead.

Nitrobetting is more than ready for the postseason. Find a full preview of the Celtics vs. Heat game below. We present you with game details, team and player stats, the latest NBA betting odds, trends, and predictions–all of which help you lock in on the best picks.

Celtics vs. Heat Game 1 Information

• When: Tuesday, May 17, 2022, 8:30 PM ET
• Where: FTX Arena, Miami, FL
• TV: ESPN
• Radio: 98.5 The Sports Hub (Celtics) / 790 AM The Ticket (Heat)
• Live Stream: NBA League Pass
• NBA Betting Odds: Celtics (+1.5) / Heat (-1.5)

READ MORE: Mavericks vs. Warriors Game 1 NBA Playoffs Odds and Preview – May 18th, 2022

Why Bet on the Boston Celtics?

It’s the fifth time that Miami and Boston will meet in the postseason, and the third time in the conference finals. Previously, Boston won a first round series, 4-1, in 2010, Miami won a second round series, 4-1, in 2011, Miami won the 2012 Conference Finals in seven games and in 2020 Miami won another conference finals in six games.

Boston won the season series, 2-1, but that Heat win was the most recent meeting on March 30 in Boston, 106-98. Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry combined for 47 points. Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 28 points and 10 rebounds. Jayson Tatum added 23 points and six assists. There were nine ties and 16 lead changes.

Lowry is not expected to play in Game 1. Lowry has been dealing with a hamstring injury since Game 3 of their first-round playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks, and he missed all but Games 3-4 of the Heat’s second-round playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers. Miami actually lost both games Lowry played and won the four he didn’t. Lowry ranked fourth on the team in scoring (13.4 points per game) and first in assists (7.5 per game) this regular season. Gabe Vincent has been starting in his place.

Boston guard Marcus Smart, the NBA Defensive Player of the Year, is listed as questionable for Game 1. There remains optimism that he’ll be able to play. If he can’t, Derrick White would likely slide into the starting rotation, with Payton Pritchard also playing a large role off the bench.

“He took a pretty bad fall, got bent up. He has a midfoot sprain, and it’s pretty tender and sore right now,” Udoka said during a teleconference with the media Monday afternoon ahead of the team’s flight to Miami for Game 1 Tuesday night. “We’ll get him round the clock treatment and right now he’ll be listed as questionable.”

Center Robert Williams missed Game 5-6 of the last round vs. Milwaukee with a knee injury. He was cleared to play Sunday but the Celtics routed the Bucks so Udoka didn’t use Williams. He will play in Game 1 and not have a minutes restriction. Williams has blossomed into a huge part of Boston’s team this season, playing 61 games while averaging 10 points and 9.6 rebounds — all career-highs.

Why Bet on the Miami Heat?

Since 2005, no teams have been in the East finals more than the Heat and Celtics. For top-seeded Miami, it will be a chance to make the NBA Finals for a sixth time in the past 12 years and for the first time since beating Boston in 2020 inside the NBA’s Orlando bubble. Boston will be hoping to snap a streak of four straight losses in the conference finals, including two at the hands of the Heat.

Only four Miami players who earned minutes in that 2020 East Finals matchup in the bubble remain on the team: Bam Adebayo, Butler, Tyler Herro, and Duncan Robinson, who started every game in that series but is now earning DNP-CDs. The Celtics retain six players who appeared then: Tatum, Brown, Smart, Williams, Grant Williams, and Daniel Theis. Brad Stevens was the Boston coach then.

It’s the first 1 vs. 2 matchup in the East finals since 2019, when Toronto knocked off top-seeded Milwaukee.

“Pat’s [Riley] probably is going to enjoy this,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said after Monday’s practice. “This is like a throwback series. If both teams are really on top of their games, this should be a series where neither team is scoring 130 points. Both teams hang their hats on rock-solid team defense, and making multiple efforts and being disciplined to schemes.”

Celtics vs. Heat Betting Trends

• Celtics are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 Conference Finals games.
• Celtics are 7-0-1 ATS in their last 8 games as a road underdog.
• The total went under in 5 of Boston’s last 7 games.
• Heat are 8-1 ATS in their last 9 games as a home favorite.
• Heat are 13-5 ATS in their last 18 games.
• The total went under in 9 of Miami’s last 11 games.

Celtics vs. Heat Expert Betting Prediction

Heat ATS and over total.

This is just one of the many sports betting guides that you can read here at Nitrobetting news. Stay tuned for more NBA game previews and articles and don’t forget to check out the latest Basketball betting odds on the sportsbook.

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*All odds stated are subject to change without prior notice.

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