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Ok let’s be honest, the Eastern Conference Finals have been very weird and kinda tough to watch. And that’s an even weirder thing to say about a series between two legacy franchises that’s tied at two games each!
But what else am I to think about the constant back-and-forth where one team looks amazing and the other team looks gassed before halftime?
The Heat led by as many as 20 in Game 1, the Celtics bounced back to lead by as many as 34 in Game 2, Miami bounced back harder and was up by 26 points in Game 3 and then Boston avenged that with a Game 4 they were ahead by as many as 32 points? It took the Heat seven minutes to score their second point of the game on Sunday! These games have not been close!
Part of why this series has felt extra weird is its inconsistency. Injuries have made this series even tougher to predict. Al Horford missed a game with Covid-19, multiple injuries cost Marcus Smart Game 1 and 4, Jayson Tatum is suffering from a shoulder injury, Jimmy Butler missed a half to a knee injury, P.J. Tucker is battling through a foot injury, Kyle Lowry missed time to a hamstring injury, Tyler Herro was out with a groin injury and Robert Williams’s status is as day-to-day as it gets.
If you feel like you have no idea what to expect in Game 5, I’m right there with you, friend. And if you, like me, were wondering what this meant for the sportsbook, let me tell ya, they don’t seem to know what to do either. For tomorrow’s game in Miami, Boston, which won by 20 points at home two days ago, has -2 odds, meaning the bet wins if they take Game 5 by three or more points.
That’s a miniscule line for a series of blowouts but what else do you do for a series that’s seen games decided by 11, 25, 6 and 20 points?
If anyone is telling you they have the inside edge on who will win tonight, I … have some questions. But I would like to point out that it is possible to bet on either team to win by 11 or more points which, uh, has sorta been the vibe in each game this week. A Celtics blowout is set at +340 (bet $100 to win $340) and the Heat odds are set at +450 (bet $100 to win $450).
