Boston Celtics vs Miami Heat Prediction, 5/25/2022 Preview and Pick

Game: Boston Celtics vs Miami Heat

Date: Wednesday, May 25, 2022

Location: FTX Arena in Miami, FL

TV: ESPN

Odds/Point Spread: Boston (-1)

The Miami Heat host the Boston Celtics at FTX Arena on Wednesday in Game 5 of their series. The series is tied 2-2. Miami opens this matchup as 1-point underdogs from oddsmakers. The total is set at 203.5.

The Celtics notched a win by a score of 102-82 in Game 4. Boston finished the game with a 39.7% field goal percentage (31 of 78) and buried 8 out of their 34 shots from distance. At the charity stripe, the Celtics converted 32 of 38 tries for a percentage of 84.2%. Pertaining to getting rebounds, they earned 60 with 14 of them being of the offensive sort. They also dished out 21 dimes for this game while forcing the opposition into 2 turnovers and getting 4 steals. With respect to the defense, Boston allowed the other team to shoot 33.3% from the field on 30 of 90 shooting. Miami doled out 39 assists and had 22 steals in the game. In addition, Miami totaled 29 rebounds (10 offensive, 19 defensive) and got 11 rejections. Miami finished the game at 57.1% when shooting free throws by knocking down 8 of 14 shots. They also made 14 of 36 shots from distance. When discussing fouls, the Celtics left the arena with 15 and the Heat totaled 9 fouls.

Jayson Tatum is someone who was a major factor for the matchup. He racked up 31 points on 8 out of 16 shooting. He was on the court for 34 minutes played and also grabbed 8 rebounds. Tatum finished the game shooting 50.0% from the field and also recorded 5 dimes.

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Boston comes into this matchup with a mark of 51-31 so far this season. They currently have an average of 111.8 points per game (12th in the league) while going 46.6% from the field. The Celtics are hitting 35.6% on 3-pointers (1,085 of 3,044) and 81.6% from the free throw line. As a unit, Boston is collecting 46.1 boards per contest and has accounted for 2,036 assists for the campaign, which is 14th in the NBA in terms of passing the ball. They are turning it over 13.6 times per contest and as a basketball team they are committing 18.5 personal fouls on a nightly basis.

On the defensive end, the Celtics are forcing 13.8 turnovers per game while drawing 19.4 personal fouls. They currently rank 1st in the league in giving up assists to the opposition with 1,773 surrendered this season. The Celtics defense is allowing a shooting percentage of 43.4% (3,137 of 7,221) and they surrender 43.7 rebounds per game as a basketball team. They give up 33.9% on three-point shots and they rank 1st in basketball in points per game allowed (104.5).

In the matter of cleaning the glass in Game 4, Miami allowed Boston to pull down 46 in total (14 offensive). They shot 23.5% from three-point range by shooting 8 of 34 and walked away from this one shooting 32 out of 38 at the free throw line (84.2%). The Heat allowed the Celtics to make 31 of their 78 tries from the field which left them with a rate of 39.7% in the matchup. When the game finished, the Heat finished shooting 30 out of 90 from the floor which gave them a percentage of 33.3%. In regard to shots from beyond the perimeter, Miami made 14 out of their 36 tries (38.9%). They were able to knock down 8 of the free throw attempts for a percentage of 57.1%. The Celtics were called for 9 fouls for this game which took the Heat to the free throw line for a total of 14 tries. They also coughed up the ball 9 times, while getting 4 steals for the contest. The Heat were able to snag 29 defensive boards and 10 offensive rebounds for a total of 39 for this contest.

Victor Oladipo ended up being a major contributor for the Heat in the matchup. He made 7 out of 16 in the game for a field goal percentage of 43.8%, and tallied 4 rebounds. Oladipo racked up 23 points in his 30 minutes on the hardwood and tallied 6 assists in this matchup.

Miami has a mark of 53-29 for the campaign. As an offensive unit, the Heat are connecting on 46.7% from the floor, which is ranked 13th in basketball. Miami has tallied 9,022 pts on the year (110.0 per contest) and they grab 43.7 boards per game. They are assisting teammates 25.5 times per game (8th in basketball) and they lose possession by turning the ball over 14.6 times per game. The Heat are committing 20.5 fouls per contest and they shoot 80.8% from the free throw line.

The Miami defense surrenders 33.9% on shots from beyond the perimeter (1,064 of 3,138) and their opponents are knocking down 77.9% of their foul shots. They have relinquished 23.3 assists and 41.7 boards per contest, which has them ranked 4th and 2nd in the NBA. The Heat on defense are ranked 4th in the league in PPG given up with 105.6. They are able to force 15.0 TO's every game and allow teams to shoot 44.7% from the floor (4th in the league).

Who will win tonight's NBA game against the spread?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Miami (+1)

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