Adam Williams presents his prediction for the NBA match.
The Miami Heat are on a losing streak, slipping to ninth place in the Eastern Conference. The departure of Jimmy Butler has significantly weakened their offence, and without strong contributions from Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo, their chances against the conference’s second-best team are slim. The Boston Celtics, meanwhile, need to bounce back after their defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder, as they have only lost consecutive games twice this season.
Miami Heat
The Heat are struggling offensively, ranking just 25th in the NBA for points per game (109.9). Over their last 15 outings, this has dipped even further to 107.9. The loss of Jimmy Butler has been particularly damaging, as he was averaging 16.9 points per game. The Heat have lost five straight, including defeats to weaker opposition like the Chicago Bulls (109:114) and the Charlotte Hornets (102:105).
Boston Celtics
The Celtics boast one of the league’s best road records, winning 24 of their 31 away games—second only to the Cleveland Cavaliers (25:6). They are strong defensively, conceding just 108.3 points per game (third-best in the NBA). The Celtics have dominated the Miami Heat in their two meetings this season, winning 108:89 and 103:85. Their three-point shooting has been a decisive factor, averaging 17.8 made threes per game—the best in the league—while the Miami Heat have struggled in this area, making just 8 and 11 three-pointers in those matchups.
Miami Heat vs Boston Celtics Prediction
The Boston Celtics have won nine of their last ten meetings with the Miami Heat. They defend well, control the tempo, and have beaten the Heat by at least six points in five of their last six encounters. Expect another comfortable win for the visitors.
