The NBA's final four is set for the 2022-23 season. The Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets, Boston Celtics, and Miami Heat remain alive in pursuit of a championship, and a day after the 2023 Western Conference Finals commence, the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals get underway on Wednesday. The No. 2 seed Boston Celtics square off against the No. 8 seed Miami in a rematch of the 2022 Eastern Conference Finals, with a trip to the 2023 NBA Finals in the balance. Game 1 is set for Wednesday at TD Garden with the Celtics holding home-court advantage in the best-of-seven series.

While the Lakers' run is somewhat surprising as the No. 7 seed in the West, the true shock of the playoffs is the advancement of the Heat. Miami toppled the No. 1 seed Milwaukee Bucks in the first round and followed that with a relatively breezy win over the No. 5 seed New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. That results in Miami making a rare trip to the Eastern Conference Finals by the traditional standard of a No. 8 seed, though the Heat do have substantial pedigree on their side with Erik Spoelstra, Jimmy Butler, and Bam Adebayo making multiple deep playoff runs in recent years. 

In contrast to Miami's surprising run, Boston was among the betting favorites to win the championship even before the playoffs began. The Celtics needed six games to take care of the Atlanta Hawks in the first round, including a disappointing Game 5 loss at home, but Boston rallied from a 3-2 deficit to knock off the Philadelphia 76ers in round two. Boston's full-season profile is elite by any description, though the Celtics must balance that with the reality that the team has battled issues with inconsistency.

Below, we'll dive into the Eastern Conference Finals from every angle, including a pick on the winner and a best bet on the series. As the seven-game matchup gets underway, the Celtics are -500 favorites ($500 to win $100) at Caesars Sportsbook, with the Heat listed at +380 ($100 to win $380) to advance. Boston is +105 to win the 2023 NBA title. Miami is listed at +1500 to win the championship.

Heat vs. Celtics full series odds

• Series winner: Celtics -500 | Heat +380
  
• Series handicap: Celtics -1.5 (-180) | Heat +1.5 (+150)
• Series alternate handicap: Celtics -2.5 (+110) | Heat +2.5 (-130)
• Total number of games: Five (+225) | Six (+240) | Seven (+250) | Four (+425)
• Exact finish: Celtics in 5 (+250) | Celtics in 7 (+375) | Celtics in 6 (+375) | Celtics in 4 (+450) | Heat in 6 (+800) | Heat in 7 (+1100) | Heat in 5 (+2500) | Heat in 4 (+4500)

What should you expect for the Heat vs. Celtics matchup in the Eastern Conference Finals? And what is the best way to handicap the action before it begins?... Join SportsLine right now to see full Heat vs. Celtics playoff strategy from an NBA expert!