Boston Celtics vs Miami Heat 11/4/21: Starting Lineups, Matchup Preview, Betting Odds, Live Stream

Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat Matchup Preview (11/4/21)

On Thursday, November 4, the struggling Boston Celtics (2-5) will face the surging Miami Heat (6-1) at the FTX Arena in Miami. Boston has been miserable this season, especially after its recent fourth-quarter collapse against the Chicago Bulls. Luckily, the Celtics bounced back and beat the Orlando Magic on Wednesday; however, that is not saying much. It is still very early in the season, though, so a turnaround is possible. The Heat, on the other hand, have been nothing short of sensational. They have won six of their seven games and rank towards the top in the NBA in all important statistical categories. Miami even has an early-season MVP candidate in Jimmy Butler, who is playing outrageously well on the offensive and defensive ends of the floor. Miami can win by just playing the same basketball it has played all season. The Heat rank first in most major defensive categories and are undisputedly the best defensive team in the NBA right now. This should stunt any momentum the Celtics garnered from their win on Wednesday. Boston’s only chance to win this bout in Miami is if it has an offensive outburst in conjunction with the best defense it has played all season. Currently, the Celtics are 30th in opponent points per game, so it would be shocking to see them hold the Heat to a reasonable score. Additionally, they will need to out-rebound the Heat, which will be quite difficult considering they are the best rebounding team in basketball. In other words, it is unlikely; however, anything can happen in the NBA. We saw this the other night with Boston’s collapse against the Bulls.

Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat Betting Odds

Odds did not drop before the time of this article’s completion; however, I will discuss the game’s expectations. Once the odds are available from the sportsbooks, we will insert a table above for you to find the best available odds on all different bets.

Boston will be heavy underdogs on the road against the Miami Heat. The Celtics rank dead-last in opponent points per game, which should allow Miami to score in the 120 range fairly easily. Meanwhile, Boston will struggle a lot against the Miami defense, particularly Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. Also, the Celtics will be playing the second game of a back-to-back, and it is on the road, so the likelihood of them struggling is higher. The point total has also not been made available, but I like the under. The Celtics just beat the Magic, but the combined point total in the game was merely 171 points. Considering that these two teams are ranked so high in points per game, the line may be placed a bit too high.

TV Schedule

Date: 11/4/21
Time: 7:30 PM ET
Arena: FTX Arena – Miami, FL
Channel: NBA TV

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Boston Celtics Starting Lineup

PG: Marcus Smart
SG: Jaylen Brown
SF: Jayson Tatum
PF: Al Horford
C: Robert Williams III

Boston Celtics Analysis

It turns out that Boston’s struggles last year were not a fluke, and they were more an indication of where the organization is at than the chaotic effects of playing an entire season during a pandemic. At the moment, things are looking very bearish for the Celtics. Despite having two of the top 25 players in the NBA, they cannot win games or stop teams on defense. Sure, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown will score 25-30 points per game on a nightly basis; however, there is not much after that working for the C’s. Marcus Smart recently expressed his frustration after a fourth-quarter meltdown against the Chicago Bulls. Luckily, the Celtics responded with a win against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday, but honestly, any team in the NBA, save the Thunder, should beat the Magic.

Miami Heat Starting Lineup

PG: Kyle Lowry
SG: Jimmy Butler
SF: P.J. Tucker
PF: Duncan Robinson
C: Bam Adebayo

Miami Heat Analysis

The Heat look like one of the best teams in the NBA, along with the Utah Jazz, through seven games. Miami is 6-1, with its only loss being against the Indiana Pacers on the road. There were some offensive issues as it just shot 38.5% from the field in that game. Even when the Heat don’t shoot it particularly well, they still give themselves a great chance at winning a game because of how elite they are on the defensive end. Defensively, Miami ranks first in opponent points per game and defensive efficiency, second in opponent eFG% (effective field goal percentage), and fourth in opponent 3P% (three-point percentage). The Heat should have minimal issues with this game, especially at home, where they are 3-0.

Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat Daily Fantasy Picks

Tyler Herro is currently the heavy favorite to win the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award, and it is no surprise why that is the case. Herro has averaged 22.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 4.4 assists for a Heat offense that relies heavily on his offensive output. The Heat’s bench is a crucial component in what makes them a special and scary team. His value has still not quite caught up to his fantasy scoring, so he should be a strong pick for you in DFS. Herro should have his fair share of 30 point games, and with as horrendous as the Boston Celtics have been on that end, I would expect him to have one in this game.

No matter how badly the Boston Celtics play as a team, Jayson Tatum will always put up big numbers, especially in terms of fantasy. Tatum has averaged 25.7 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game on 39.5/27.1/77.8 shooting splits. This is not even close to Tatum’s shooting potential. His career averages are leaps and bounds higher from a percentage standpoint, so it is only a matter of time before he explodes. I would expect that to happen sooner versus later, especially since he should be relied upon heavily against a very tough Miami Heat defense.