The Miami Heat are looking to bounce back from an opening night defeat to the Chicago Bulls as they meet their Eastern Conference rivals, the Boston Celtics, on Friday evening in the FTX Arena. This will be the first matchup of the year, as the last time these two teams were on the court together was in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Championship game last season.
Players To Watch
- Jimmy Butler– Jimmy Butler kicked off opening night with a 24-point performance against the Bulls. He will need to come into this game firing on all cylinders against the Celtics. He will need to play tough defense, making sure to slow the opposing stars down as much as possible.
- Max Strus– Max Strus was very impressive in his first game of the season, shooting five of seven from behind the arc and finishing with 22 points in the process. He will need to continue to shoot well from behind the three-point arc, while also being sure to keep the Celtics’ defense off balance by mixing in steady doses of attacking the basket.
The Miami Heat are looking to bounce back after their defeat to the Chicago Bulls. And they will have to try and do it against the Boston Celtics.
Keys To The Game
- Come Out Shooting– The Miami Heat need to come out shooting against the Boston Celtics. They will need to hit most of their shots from behind the arc. Miami will need to hit about 70 percent of their shots, overall, if they are going to defeat the Celtics.
- Lockdown The Paint– The Heat defense allowed too many points in the paint against the Bulls. The Miami defense will need to step up its defense in the paint and not allow any easy baskets by Jayson Tatum and the Celtics’ offense.
- Hold The Lead– The Heat began the game against Chicago with a strong lead, however, they let the Bulls gain the upper hand and take over the game in the second half. Miami will need to be consistent if they hope to beat Boston on Friday.
Miami Heat V. Boston Celtics Odds And Prediction
Odds And Information Courtesy Of WynnBET
Moneyline: MIA +120 BOS -140
Spread: MIA +2.5
Total: 219.0
Predictions
This is the revenge game for the Miami Heat, looking to take down their rivals and get revenge for their Game 7 defeat. If Miami comes out firing and plays their style of basketball, then Miami should get their season back on track with a win over the Celtics, 110-106.