Now that we're in the thick of the NBA playoffs, the basketball betting market is hotter than ever. CBS Sports will be providing daily picks for the duration of the postseason. Sam Quinn will make at least one pick for every game between now and the NBA Finals. All lines courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook.
Miami Heat at Boston Celtics
As we've covered frequently in this space, the Heat are the best Game 1 team in the NBA. They are now 9-2 in Game 1's during the Jimmy Butler-Erik Spoelstra era despite being the lower seed for six of those wins. But we saw this in the Eastern Conference Finals a year ago. Miami eeked out a close Game 1 victory. Boston blew the doors off the Heat in Game 2 by a score of 127-102. The Heat are 0-2 in Game 2's this postseason. Miami becomes mortal once a team has seen their unconventional tactics up close. The Pick: Celtics -9
Game 1 was exceptionally high-scoring because the Heat made over half of their 3-pointers. They are still a weak half-court offense. Boston is still starting it's defensive-minded Robert Williams III unit. The Celtics are unlikely to earn 29 free throw attempts again in Game 2. The offensive nature of Game 1 threw Vegas off of the scent. This should still be a low-scoring series, and we have all of last year's matchup to prove it. The Pick: Under 215.5
Kevin Love has played in 12 playoff games for the Heat this season. He's made seven 2-pointers. All of his offense is coming from deep. He's an incredibly vulnerable defensive matchup that Boston is likely to try to play off of the floor. The Celtics are perfectly capable of containing 3-point shooters by switching, but emphasized rim-protection instead in Game 1. After watching the Heat make 16 of their 31 3-pointers, they'll likely emphasize those jumpers more. If the aren't available, Love has no way to score. The Pick: Love Under 6.5 Points
