NBA Eastern Conference Finals Betting Tip Sheet
In a surprising turn of events, the Miami Heat advanced to the NBA Eastern Conference Finals. As heavy underdogs against the No. 1 seed Milwaukee Bucks, the Heat won that best-of-seven series in just five games.
The Boston Celtics needed all seven games to get past the Toronto Raptors in the conference semifinals. Boston was favored in that series but Toronto was the defending NBA Champion. The Celtics finished the regular season as second-favorites behind Milwaukee to win the East.
Use The NBA Eastern Conference Finals Betting Tip Sheet To Find The Best Basketball Bets
Game 1 of the Miami vs. Boston series is set for Tuesday, Sept. 15. Intertops online sportsbook has the Celtics listed as slight 1 ½-point favorites. They are designated as the home team in the NBA Orlando bubble. The total line for Game 1 has been set at 208 ½ points.
Miami has been a solid bet throughout the playoffs. In nine previous games, it has won eight both straight-up and against the spread. This includes a four-game sweep against Indiana in the opening round. The total has stayed UNDER in six of those nine games.
Boston eliminated the Philadelphia 76ers in a four-game SU sweep (3-1 ATS) to open its playoff run. After taking a 2-0 series lead against Toronto (SU and ATS), the Celtics lost three of the next four games SU (2-2 ATS). Closing Game 7 as a three-point favorite, Boston turned things around with a 92-87 win.
The opening series price for this matchup slightly favors Boston at -135 odds. The series price odds Miami wins are set at +115.
The best time to bet this series could be after Tuesday’s Game 1 regardless of which team wins. Game 2 is set for Thursday night at 7 p.m. (ET) on ESPN.
If the Heat keep things rolling win a win on Tuesday, there will be an attractive price on Boston moving forward. If Miami comes up short as a slight underdog, all the value would shift its way as a heavier series underdog.
Betting any NBA playoff series is all about finding the best value in the numbers. This tends to fluctuate with every game that is played.
A common betting strategy would be to take the favorite ahead of the series opener. Depending on the early results, you can double down on that bet. You also have the option to hedge that bet if the early results do not fall your way.
The Celtics had the slight 2-1 edge (SU and ATS) over the Heat in three regular season games this season. Boston beat the Heat at home and on the road. Miami beat the Celtics 112-106 on Aug. 4 in a late regular season game in the Orlando bubble.
A few other betting trends to make note of heading into this series include:
- Miami is 5-0 ATS in its last five road games
- Boston has a 7-1 SU record in its last eight home games against the Heat
- The total has stayed UNDER in eight of Boston’s last nine games overall
