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Heat vs. Celtics Picks, Predictions: Is There Any Stopping Tatum?

Zachary Hanshew

Last Updated: January 1, 0001 12:00 AM EST • 2 min 9 sec read.

Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics goes to the basket as Tyler Herro of the Miami Heat and Kyle Lowry look on during the second half at TD Garden on November 30, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts.
Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics goes to the basket as Tyler Herro of the Miami Heat and Kyle Lowry look on during the second half at TD Garden on November 30, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. Photo by Winslow Townson/Getty Images via AFP.

Jayson Tatum and the high-scoring Boston Celtics host the Miami Heat in a rematch of Wednesday's clash. Read on for our top Heat-Celtics NBA picks for Friday.

The Celtics defeated the Heat 134-121 Wednesday behind Tatum’s season-high 49 points. Miami’s list of injuries is still quite extensive, but can the Heat make some noise at TD Garden?

Here are our Heat-Celtics NBA picks for Friday (odds via PointsBet; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Check out our NBA Final futures odds and picks.

Heat vs. Celtics Game Info

Date: Friday, Dec. 2, 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: NBCS-BOS, BSSUN
Location: TD Garden, Boston, MA

Heat vs. Celtics Odds

Heat vs. Celtics Odds Analysis

The line opened at Celtics -8.5 and has moved down by just half a point ahead of Friday night’s tip-off. Boston was the overwhelming favorite to cover at the higher opening number and remains the heavy favorite at -8.

The total has shifted up from 224.5 to a still very modest 225.5, and the majority of the action should be on the Over throughout the day.

Heat vs. Celtics Picks

  • Spread: Celtics -8 (-107 via PointsBet)
  • Over/Under: Over 225.5 (-107 via PointsBet)
  • Prop: Jayson Tatum Over 29.5 points (-113 via FanDuel)

Heat vs. Celtics ATS Pick

Celtics -8 (-107) ★★★★★

Boston is one of the best teams against the spread this season at 14-8. The Celtics have also posted a phenomenal 9-3 ATS record as home favorites. The C's covered the number in five straight games coming into Friday.

Meanwhile, Miami is 3-4 ATS as the road underdog and 5-6 following a loss. Despite Miami’s shortcomings on the spread, the Heat covered the number in three of their last five games overall. But despite the recent success ATS, we can’t count on Miami to cover in Boston with so many injuries to key players. We’re taking the Celtics.

FanDuel is the only major book offering this spread at 7.5, but the odds are -114, so we’ll take the half a point at PointsBet with longer odds.

Heat vs. Celtics O/U Pick

Over 225.5 (-107) ★★★★★

Boston sports the best offense in the NBA while scoring 121.9 points per game and a whopping 126.7 at home. Miami’s offense has been pretty bland, and the team ranks 27th in points per game at 109.0.

The Heat are even worse on the road, posting just 106.6 per game in those contests. Even if both teams are just average on Friday, we can comfortably count on hitting the Over. Boston has hit the Over in three straight games and four of its last five, while Miami played to the Over in three of its last four games. 

Heat vs. Celtics Prop Pick

Tatum Over 29.5 points (-113) ★★★★★

Tatum’s points prop is set dangerously low, and we’re going to take full advantage. Boston’s star forward is an early MVP favorite, and he’s averaging 31.6 points per game this season while leading his team to the best record in the Association.

Over his last four outings, Tatum has played out of his mind, averaging 37.8 points and 4.0 made 3-pointers per game while shooting 54.3% from the field and scoring at least 30 points in each contest. He scored 29 points in his first meeting with Miami this season and 49 on Wednesday, so we’ll confidently take the Over.

Where to Bet on Heat vs. Celtics Picks

Here are our top-rated sportsbooks:

Heat-Celtics picks made 12/2/2022 at 9:19 a.m. ET

Written By:
Zachary Hanshew
Zak is a lucky husband and blessed father of four. He’s been writing about sports since 2018 with prior stops at FantasyPros, RotoWire, and FantasyLabs. In addition to Sportsbook Review, you can find his work at NBC Sports Edge, Yahoo, and OwnersBox. When he’s not writing, Zak can be found playing the guitar, hanging out with his family, coaching his son’s basketball team, or laughing way too hard at old Simpsons episodes.