NBA Picks: Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat

The Miami Heat have won and covered the spread in their last four games, which is important to consider when making your NBA picks on Friday night as they face the Boston Celtics at AmericanAirlines Arena.

Sports bettors will find that the Heat are 12.5-point home favorites in the pro basketball odds (courtesy of SBR Forum), while the total sits at 194 in the market.

Let's take a closer look at this Eastern Conference matchup from a betting perspective, while offering up a prediction on the total along the way. 

Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics have alternated wins and losses over their last five games. On Friday, they will attempt to bounce back from Wednesday's 101-93 setback to the Brooklyn Nets as three-point home favorites.

Over the last two-plus seasons, the Celtics are 15-17 against the spread in April, with the UNDER going 20-12 in that situation.  

Miami Heat

The Miami Heat have won two of their first three meetings with the Boston Celtics this season, including a 105-103 victory as six-point road favorites on March 18.

Sports bettors will find that the Heat are 5-7 against the spread as home favorites of 12.5 or more points, with the UNDER going 6-5-1 in those 12 contests. 

Prediction

I'm going to recommend that readers play the total as one of their NBA picks on Friday night, as the UNDER is 24-10-1 in the Miami Heat's last 36 games in the month of April.

NBA Pick: Under 194

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