The National Basketball Association was founded 76 years ago. During that time, a team has never recovered from a 0-3 hole to win the final four games of an NBA Playoffs series.
That all could change tonight when the Boston Celtics host the Miami Heat for Game 7 of the NBA’s Eastern Conference Finals. The Heat’s commanding 3-0 lead has now diminished, placing them on the brink of elimination from the 2023 NBA Playoffs.
18+ NBA Playoff betting sites have created game lines for tonight that suggest the Cetics will successfully defend their home court and make it to the NBA Finals, where the Denver Nuggets are waiting for them.
We’ve gathered game lines from our three favorite eighteen-friendly sportsbook sites, and they’ve posted the exact same odds for tonight’s contest.
Miami Heat @ Boston Celtics – Game 7
- Point Spread: Heat +7.5, Celtics -7.5
- Moneyline: Heat +250, Celtics -300
- Over/Under: 204.0
The NBA odds suggest that there is a strong possibility that the Celtics make history tonight, winning four in a row after falling in a three-game hole. But why are online pro basketball sportsbooks so certain that Miami is done for?
After all, the Heat have captured three games themselves, and Game 6 came down to the wire with Boston winning via a controversial tip-in at the last second.
Heck, Miami’s Jimmy Butler has already gone on the record and guaranteed a Game 7 victory for the Heat. Should we believe him, and more importantly, should you bet on the Heat to win the series?
“I’m not going to let anybody quit. I’m not going to let our guys quit. I don’t give a damn what happens. We’re going to go [to Boston], and we’re going to win.”
Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat
Are oddsmakers being lulled by the notion that Boston’s inertia will simply continue forward? What about the concept of what goes up must come down?
The Heat hold a 2-1 edge over the Celtics at TD Garden during the Eastern Conference Finals, with the only win coming under scrutiny.
The odds presented for betting on the NBA Finals also paint a dismal picture for Miami. Of the three remaining active NBA teams, the Heat are a distant third, ranking 1375 points behind second place in the moneyline odds.
2023 NBA Futures
- Denver Nuggets -130
- Boston Celtics +125
- Miami Heat +1400
As the 8-seed, the Heat have been playing spoiler for the entire 2023 NBA Playoffs, yet still, oddsmakers don’t place any belief behind their championship effort thus far.
To recap, an NBA Playoff team has never recovered when trailing 0-3 in a series, and the Heat are 2-1 in Boston during the Conference Finals, with the only loss being a fluke.
Why aren’t we betting on the Heat to win? Their +250 Game 7 moneyline odds will payout at $2.50 on the dollar if they do. Of course, these odds will not hold into the game if Miami pulls ahead, so the best way to make the most money off of a Heat win is to place your wager right now.
Sources – CBS Sports, Bovada (Bovada.LV Review), BetUS.com.pa (BetUS Review), BetOnline (BetOnline.AG Review)
