NBA Playoffs 2012: Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat, Game 7 Odds

LeBron James' Game 6 brilliance has pushed the Eastern Conference finals to the limit, as the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat will decide who gets to play the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2012 NBA Finals, Saturday night in South Beach.

The Heat have been sent out as 7.5-point home favorites in the NBA betting odds for Game 7 (courtesy of SBR Forum) which will be played inside the American Airlines Arena.

Miami came away with an impressive 98-79 win as two-point road favorites over Boston in Game 6 on Thursday, snapping a three-game losing streak in this best-of-seven series. The Heat still haven't been able to eclipse the century mark on the offensive end since a 115-111 overtime win in Game 2 on May 30.

James has proven difficult to deal with—scoring at least 29 points in all six games of this series, including a game-high 45 points in Game 6 inside the TD Garden. He has managed to score 20-plus points in his last 15 postseason games.

Boston is certainly capable of bouncing back after suffering just its second home loss of the 2012 NBA playoffs, posting a 107-91 road victory over the Philadelphia 76ers in its second-round series after dropping an 82-81 decision at home in Game 2.

The Celtics will need Paul Pierce to show up in hopes of springing the upset, as he finished with a series-low nine points on 4 of 18 shooting. The 34-year-old came into the latest affair averaging 19.4 points per game, which ranked second on the team to Kevin Garnett (19.9 ppg).

It's too early for me to make a prediction, but James is going to be difficult to stop if Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade are able to contribute quality minutes in Game 7.

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