Miami Heat vs Boston Celtics 3/30/22: Starting Lineups, Matchup Preview, Betting Odds, Predictions

Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics Matchup Preview (3/30/22)

Two Eastern Conference titans battle in a late-season matchup, which features the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics. Everything surrounding the Miami Heat right now is the drama that was stirred when Erik Spoelstra and Jimmy Butler got into a verbal altercation, shortly followed by Udonis Haslem joining in. Since that mid-game argument, the Heat are 1-3 and struggling mightily, especially on the offensive end. In their game on Saturday against the Nets, Jimmy Butler finished with an underwhelming seven points, which was ninth-most on the Heat.

Meanwhile, Boston is still playing at an incredibly high level, winning 24 of its last 29 games. In the C’s most recent game, they lost to the Toronto Raptors; however, they were on the road and without Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Robert Williams. The fact that they kept that game close until the end is impressive and speaks to their depth and chemistry as a complete unit. The betting odds section below covers who I think will win this matchup and cover the spread, so make sure to check it out!

Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics Betting Odds

Miami’s definitive win over the Sacramento Kings does not necessarily move the needle for me in this game. The Heat shot around 50% from deep for the entirety of the game and were going against one of the worst teams in basketball. Sure, it was a dominant performance, and their offense looked like it was clicking on all cylinders, but that does not change the fact that Boston has the best defense in the NBA and could hold them to 100 points or fewer with ease. Robert Williams will not be playing in this matchup, which obviously hurts, but the C’s still have a few big men that can body up Bam Adebayo. I contend that this will be a close game, but Boston should be able to squeak out a close victory. Keep an eye on where the spread opens because if it is too wide (more than two or three points), that could keep me off of it.

How To Watch

Date: 3/30/22
Time: 7:30 PM ET
Arena: TD Garden – Boston, MA
Channel: ESPN

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Miami Heat Starting Lineup

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

Miami Heat Analysis

Don’t look now, but the Miami Heat are beginning to tumble from atop the Eastern Conference standings. Now, Miami is neck and neck with several other teams in the conference as it has given away its lead. This should go without saying, but plummeting from first to fourth in a week or two would be a real problem for a team looking to find their way back to the NBA Finals. Miami’s problems started shortly after its road loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. The next game featured a meltdown from Jimmy Butler, Erik Spoelstra, and Udonis Haslem, who were all involved in a verbal confrontation. Miami can still go far in the playoffs this season, even in an incredibly tight Eastern Conference; however, it will have to figure out how to get everyone back on board and steer the ship in the right direction.

Boston Celtics Starting Lineup

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

Boston Celtics Analysis

Boston has been one of the best teams in the NBA for several months now and has won 24 of its last 29 games. In its previous game against the Raptors, the C’s were without Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Robert Williams, and still almost won! It is incredible what has happened since everyone in Boston bought into playing defense at a high level. Boston was outside of the playoff picture after the first two months of the NBA season, and now, it might end up in first place in the Eastern Conference by the time the playoffs start. Unfortunately, the interior anchor for the incredibly successful Celtics’ defense, Robert Williams, just suffered a torn meniscus. There is some optimism that he may return at some point during the playoffs, but if they remain as a No. 1 seed, then there is some likelihood they have to play the Brooklyn Nets. Let’s face it: no one wants to play the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the playoffs. Perhaps, dropping to the No. 3 or No. 4 seed would actually benefit Boston long-term, but regardless of that, it needs Robert Williams back sooner versus later to truly have a shot.

Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics Daily Fantasy Picks

There is really only one player for Miami that I feel could still score 20+ points against the Celtics with relative ease, and that is Bam Adebayo. Adebayo will not have to worry about Robert Williams for this matchup, which should help him on the offensive end. The Heat have several players who have struggled against Boston this season, including Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro. While Adebayo’s numbers against the Celtics don’t pop off the screen at you, he will be going up against a slightly weaker frontcourt could prove to be a game-changer. I like Bam in this spot purely because Miami will need to lean on him more in this game.

I honestly don’t think you could go wrong with either Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown for DFS in this game. Miami has had a solid defense all season long, but the C’s have been electric on offense most nights in the past few months, and Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are two of the main reasons for this. In their last game, Tatum and Brown combined for 65 points in their win against the Minnesota Timberwolves, who have been red-hot since the All-Star Break ended. Give both of these guys a look for your DFS lineup.