The 2022 Eastern Conference Finals begin with Game 1 between the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat at 8:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday. Miami is favored by two points at Caesars Sportsbook, while the Over-Under is set at 204 (see up-to-date odds for every game this week on our NBA odds page). 

Before making any Celtics vs. Heat picks, you NEED to check out the NBA predictions from SportsLine expert Mike Barner.

Barner is one of the most respected voices in the industry, and his work has appeared in Sports Illustrated and on Yahoo, RotoWire and KFFL. He's also been featured on ESPN Radio. He digs deep into the data, examining team trends and projecting game outcomes. If there's anybody who can spot an edge in a matchup or identify a player in position to break out, it's him. 

Barner's expertise has been on full display lately. He is on an amazing 36-25 run with his last 61 against-the-spread picks involving the Heat, returning $845 to $100 players.

Barner knows Boston was the best defensive team in the NBA this season, and that excellence has continued apace. Boston is allowing just 1.05 points per possession in the postseason, building off a league-best 1.06 points allowed per possession mark during the regular season. Opponents are shooting just 44.3 percent from the field and 32.9 percent from 3-point range against the Celtics in the playoffs. Boston is also holding opponents to 20.2 assists per game and blocking 6.0 shots per contest.

He also knows the Heat are riding high. Miami was the first team to clinch a conference finals berth, and the Heat have the best point differential in the 2022 NBA playoffs. Miami is scoring more than 1.14 points per possession and allowing less than 1.05 points per possession, both of which are elite marks. The Heat are securing 31.6 percent of missed shots on the offensive glass, creating value second-chance opportunities. On defense, Miami is creating 15.6 turnovers per game and allowing only 19.1 assists per game in the playoffs.

Now, Barner has set his sights on Celtics vs. Heat. We can tell you he is leaning Under the total, and he's also isolated a critical X-factor that makes one side hit HARD! You ABSOLUTELY need to see what he has to say before locking in any NBA picks.

Who wins Celtics vs. Heat? And which critical x-factor makes one side hit HARD? ... Join SportsLine right now to find out which side of Celtics vs. Heat you should be all over Tuesday, all from the expert on a roll on NBA picks!