The best online betting sites for the NBA are now seeing some interesting trends for Wednesday night. In this article, we have our early NBA Wednesday Playoff Top Bets for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final. Can the Miami Heat feel the heat and beat the Boston Celtics as they make a claim for a spot in the NBA Finals.
The second-seeded Boston Celtics are a slight favorite over the Miami Heat in Game 5. Yes, the game is set again in Miami at FTX Arena. The two teams have set a very interesting pattern during this Eastern Conference Final series. When Boston wins, they win in spectacular fashion. They blew out the Heat by 25 in Game 2 which started a trend. After that, Miami bounced back and then held off Boston late in the fourth quarter.
A closer look showed that in Game 3 where Miami went up by more than 20 points at one juncture. The Heat had a series high (at the time) 39 points in that first quarter. Boston did not have a chance but did cut that deficit to just one in the final stages of the game. That is when Miami caused a few more turnovers and sealed the game in Heat fashion. Their defense is one of the best in the league for a reason. They caused 24 turnovers in all.
So, Miami simply built a big lead, played downhill basketball, and got a little lucky in the waning moments of Game 3. Sometimes, that is just how it goes. Boston is one of the best teams in the league. Defensively, they held opponents to just 104.5 points per game (tops in the NBA). Their net rating was second in the NBA. The numbers do not lie. Boston’s a team that can slow down almost any team.
Now, NBA Wednesday Night Playoff Top Bets focuses on the following question. Does Miami feel the Heat and go up three games to two in this series?
It is not a surprise that the Miami Moneyline has more value on Wednesday night. One never truly knows how both teams will play at times. All anyone knows is that few teams can turn it up defensively like Miami. Even Boston has felt that pressure and the turnovers just kept coming. The problem on Monday was the tables were turned as the Heat felt the Heat. They had just one point through more than six minutes of the first quarter.
So the essential thing for Miami is to maintain that defensive intensity with consistent pace and offence. Again, the Celtics do not have to score 120 points to win games. Miami obviously has a hard time getting that high. Their series-high is 109 points by the way. The key is Miami’s starters have to play much better than they did on Monday night. Victor Oladipo outscored the starters 23-19.
This series could easily see Boston win tonight. Boston has managed to outscore and outplay Miami for 12 of the 16 quarters in this series. However, Miami views itself more as the embattled team who keeps finding ways to win. It is uncanny how the Heat just play better when they yes, feel the Heat closing in on them. Back a team against a proverbial wall and see what happens next.
Miami holds the cards here err home court that is. If Boston shoots around 50% though then all bets may be off. When the Celtics are hitting their shots, they are extremely tough to beat. However, the song likely remains the same from a win and loss standpoint as the Miami moneyline remains one of the NBA Wednesday Playoff Top Bets.
The NBA Wednesday Top Playoff Bets for this Eastern Conference Final has become a best-of-three as both teams have won on each other’s home court. There is no way Miami’s starters are just scoring 19 points again in this series. The expectation is that they bounce back and put Boston on their heels once more this Wednesday night. After all, that pattern has held relatively firm.
Again, the crazy part of this best-of-seven is how Miami does just enough to win games. It is often not pretty, they have to force a lot of turnovers and generate transitional play. When that fails, they need to hope that Jimmy Butler and company are sinking their shots. If they shoot below 35%, one can stick a fork in them. That is just the type of team Miami is.
Miami may not have been just suffering from a tough series against the Philadelphia 76ers. There’s no question. The Heat has been there before in this postseason and can bounce back. However, even with this team, there are no guarantees. That being said, Miami getting 1 1/2 points is worth a further look. Hopefully, this game does not flip towards Miami becoming a favorite.
For this NBA Wednesday Playoff Top Bets, our pick is to choose the Miami Heat and the modest 1.5-point spread. After all, that presents a little value at just -110. Plus, even with a better effort by their guard play may just be enough to steal a home win in Game 5.
MyBookie expected the Miami-Boston series to be favoring the Heat early. Despite this, the over/under here has dropped to 203.5 points. That is a bit low. The pace could exceed 204, but the losing number in this pattern has been a problem.
Once more, our pick is the Over at 203.5 points as another Wednesday night best bet.
See some quality online betting sites where you can wager more dollars Wednesday night.
Chris Wassel is someone who has covered a little bit of everything: business, writing, sports, food, grilling, the Olympics, injuries, politics, and more. He has climbed mountains like Mount Washington and Mount San Jacinto in Palm Springs, California, and for those who don’t know, he is also big into food challenges. With friends like Joey Chestnut and Casey Webb, Chris has tackled eating feats like finishing a 16-pound turkey or a 32-inch meat lover's pizza. Since 2013, he has focused on fitness, fishing, and sports while managing to fit in running, hiking, rock climbing, and even the occasional mini-triathlon. He can lift more than his body weight with ease and is the person you turn to when you want to know if a NASCAR rain delay means a Monday race. Over his career, Chris has worked at places like Amazon, USA Today, and various rumors and fantasy sports sites. He has been nominated for awards such as the Fantasy Sports Writers Association's Hockey Writer of the Year and has a collection of high-stakes fantasy trophies and rings on display at home. With all this, Chris sums it up best with his motto: "Shut up and play."