Best NBA Bets Today: Celtics vs. Heat Expert Picks, Predictions & Props

Nothing about the Heat on offense makes sense, yet here they are back in the Eastern Conference Finals. Unlike their opponent in Boston, Miami does not boast the high-level firepower on offense, mostly led by Jimmy Butler’s will and Tyler Herro from deep. Of course, the Heat have other options and can punish a team down low with Bam Adebayo, but overall the Heat are powered by their hard-nosed defense, as seen by swallowing up their first two opponents. Kyle Lowry will miss Game 1 with a hamstring injury, and Lowry has played just twice in the past nine games. P.J. Tucker, Max Strus, Gabe Vincent and Caleb Martin are all listed as questionable.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown head up the Celtics as they come off a blowout win over the Bucks in the semifinals. Boston gets a boost with Robert Williams III returning from a knee injury, although Marcus Smart is listed as questionable for tonight. After a long series with Milwaukee, Boston now heads to South Beach and takes on a Heat team that has been idle for the past five days. The two teams battled in the 2020 Eastern Conference Finals, where Miami advanced for the sixth time in franchise history. The Celtics can hand the Heat their first conference finals loss after winning their last six appearances.

Make sure to keep checking OddsShopper, as the status of players can change by the minute. It has everything necessary for NBA betting today. Let’s check out the top value with the best NBA bets today and NBA player prop bets for the Celtics vs. Heat.

NBA Player Props & Picks | Celtics vs. Heat

Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat

Date: Sunday, May 15, 2022
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
Venue: FTX Arena, Miami, Fla.
Coverage: ESPN

Best Celtics vs. Heat NBA Bets | Claim $200 FREE at BetMGM

The easiest place to find the best bets in the NBA is on the one-stop shop for value and where to place a wager. Simply filter, sort the page and find the best return available across all books. Check out more free NBA picks today from all of our betting experts.

Moneyline Winner

Both of these teams pride themselves on defense and should limit opposing scoring opportunities. The general belief is that between Tatum and Brown, Boston has more top-heavy scoring options and is less likely to slump during stretches of this game. That could be said about previous opponents of Miami when healthy, and yet here the Heat are, scoring points on good defenses. The team with five days of rest will look sharper than the team just coming off a long series despite the closeout game being a laugher, and in a defensive battle like this, neither team can afford to come out slow. Expect the Heat to put some early pressure on Brown, forcing some tough looks for Tatum and ultimately putting the game in guys like Al Horford’s hands, something Miami can certainly live with all series.

Best Bet Today: Heat Moneyline (-125 BetMGM)

Make sure to check OddsShopper throughout the day for the best value and return on any NBA betting pick today. It is also important to check as Awesemo’s projections update and shift any initial data earlier in the day.

Dewayne Dedmon O/U 3.5 Rebounds

Smaller-market player props are some of the best plays in favor of the bettor but are not always easy to find. Thanks to BetMGM, Dewayne Dedmon’s rebound prop is not only playable, but also highly profitable according to OddsShopper and Awesemo. Dedmon’s projection has him finishing with 4.9 rebounds, well over the total at BetMGM. There is also a positive payout for going over this, which factors in with OddsShopper‘s 50% xROI on the play and a solid 72% chance of going over the total. Dedmon should see plenty of minutes to get four rebounds against the Celtics.

If a 72% xWin rate is still not good enough, how about 100%? There is FREE money at BetMGM, and all you have to do is bet $10 to win $200 if either the Celtics or Heat hit just one 3-pointer tonight.

Best Prop Bet Today: Dewayne Dedmon OVER 3.5 Rebounds (+105 BetMGM)

Jalen Brown O/U 5.5 Rebounds

The Celtics saw Brown consistently grab six rebounds over the course of their series against the Bucks. Brown averaged 7.3 rebounds and only failed to hit six boards two times in their seven games against Milwaukee. Expect the same level of aggressiveness on the glass with Brown, as he can bang for position down low or catch longer rebounds off missed 3’s. Awesemo has Brown finishing with 7.1 rebounds and OddsShopper sees a 71% chance of him going over the total of 5.5 tonight. OddsShopper has a 28% xROI on this prop.

Best Prop Bet Today: Jaylen Brown OVER 5.5 Rebounds (-125 BetMGM)

The Latest Sports Betting Content from Stokastic Odds

Gabe Vincent O/U 2.5 Assists

The ask is a little higher with this prop, but based on circumstances surrounding Gabe Vincent, this is absolutely worth the risk. Vincent has seen a consistent number of minutes on the floor, including starting in Lowry’s absence. While scoring overall may slow down for both teams in this series, Vincent is going to be in prime passing positions early in this game and Awesemo’s projection has him finishing with 3.2 assists. OddsShopper has a solid 62% chance of this prop going over, which is aided by not having Lowry on the floor.

Best Prop Bet Today: Gabe Vincent OVER 2.5 Assists (-155 BetMGM)

Thanks for reading to the end of this article! If you appreciate this free content and want to see more of it every day, you can help us out by sharing this article on social media!