Filip Tomic
NBA
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Going down 3-1 before heading back to Miami for Game 5 is something that the Boston Celtics are desperate to avoid. They’ll have a chance to even the series at 2-2 tonight as we get ready for Game 4 at TD Garden. Tip-off is at 8:30 pm ET on ABC, and you can find my same game parlay for the crunch matchup below.
Make sure you also check out our predictions on the side and total for Game 4 of the Dallas Mavericks vs Golden State Warriors series.
Let’s get into it!
Jaylen Brown to score 30+ points (+250)
Marcus Smart to record 8+ assists (+138)
Parlay odds: +626
Jaylen Brown to score 30+ points (+250)
With Tatum struggling from the field and turning the ball over in Game 3, the Celtics turned to Jaylen Brown and he fully delivered with 40 points on 14-for-20 shooting. He also had 9 rebounds, but what is concerning is the fact that he too had 7 turnovers on the night and that’s something he will have to clean up going forward. He is averaging 29.3 points per game for the series, which is just a continuation of his stellar play against the Heat from the regular season, where he averaged 24.7 per game in 4 meetings.
If Tatum continues to struggle, I am not worried at all for the Celtics’ offense as Brown will be there to step up. Jimmy Butler not playing the entire 2nd half did him well in Game 3, and with just 1 day of rest in between games, Jimmy is unlikely to be at 100% for tonight’s game. Brown can take advantage of that.
Be sure to check out our full Game 4 preview for Miami Heat vs Boston Celtics
Marcus Smart to record 8+ assists (+138)
The math is pretty simple for the Celtics – when Smart gets assists they usually win games. He has had 7 and 12 assists in the 2 games he’s played in this series, and has gone over 8 assists twice in the last 3 games. Boston is yet to lose a game this postseason in which Smart gets at least 8 assists (4-0) and a banged-up back-court of Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry will be unlikely to contain him.
The Celtics rank 2nd among the 4 teams left in the postseason in assists, averaging 24.8 per game. In order for them to level the series tonight, they’ll have to limit turnovers and be way more efficient with the ball in general. If we count both the regular season and playoffs, Smart has recorded 7, 12, 8 and 7 assists over his last 4 games vs Miami.
Check out our first-basket best bet for Game 4 of Heat vs Celtics
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