Boston Celtics vs Miami Heat Series Odds, Predictions and Free Picks – 2011 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals Betting

2011 NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs – Boston Celtics vs Miami Heat Series Odds, Predictions, Free Picks and Preview: It is a matchup NBA fans have been anticipating all season, and two of the most star-studded teams in recent memory will play for a chance to advance to the conference finals. The No. 3-seeded Boston Celtics have championship experience, and the No. 2-seeded Miami Heat have as much hype as any team ever assembled. These two teams don’t like each other, and players on both sides better be ready for a very physical series. The Heat have been installed as a -185 favorite(odds at SBG Global Sportsbook) to win the series.

The Celtics have already showed their championship poise in their opening round sweep of the New York Knicks. Carmelo Anthony and company gave Boston all it could handle in the first two games, but the Celtics found a way to win. Led by a resurgent Rajon Rondo, Boston polished off the Knicks with two convincing wins in New York. When Rondo plays well, everyone else on the court does, too. It is the main reason that Paul Pierce and Ray Allen torched the New York from 3-point range.

Miami needed five games to dispatch the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round, but overcoming slow starts and struggling to finish remained a theme for the Heat. Much like the regular season, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh did most of the damage, and the Heat got little production from the rest of its roster. The Sixers didn’t have enough firepower to handle Miami, but the Heat were anything but dominant in their victories with the exception of Game 3.

During the regular season, the Celtics took three out of four games from Miami. The Heat did have a convincing win in the final meeting between the two squads, but Boston’s effort in that matchup was questionable at best. In many ways, the strengths and weaknesses of these teams are complete opposites. The Celtics lack a ton of speed and athleticism, but they are efficient in the half court and rely on their experience to win in crunch time. The Heat have three of the most athletic scorers in their league on their roster, but they like to score in transition and have trouble finishing off teams.

The play of Rondo is going to go a long way to determining the outcome of the series. Miami doesn’t have a point guard on its roster that can come close to stopping him, and the Heat will likely have to have James guard Rondo. Guarding Rondo is inevitably going to wear down James, and if it takes a toll on his scoring production, Miami is going to be in serious trouble. For the Heat, forcing the Celtics to play at a faster pace has to be priority No. 1. If this becomes a half court series, Miami doesn’t have a chance.

In the end, this series is going to be decided by how each team performs during crunch time. If the regular season was any kind of predictor of what to expect, Miami is still trying to figure out how to finish off games. For all their star power, the Heat’s current roster doesn’t have experience playing with one another under this type of pressure. Boston’s core group of players has been down this road before, and the battle-tested team is going to have the edge. Expect a bunch of close games, but the Celtics will come out on top in the closing minutes more often than not.

Prediction: Boston Celtics Win in 6 Games

NBA Playoffs Series Odds
Miami Heat vs Boston Celtics
Miami Heat -185
Boston Celtics +160