Celtics may be down 3-1 to Heat, but sportsbooks are backing Boston to win Game 5

After an embarrassing showing in Game 3 against the Miami Heat, the Boston Celtics bounced back on the road in a big way in Tuesday’s Game 4 with a strong second half in their 17-point win.

Still, though, the Celtics are down three games to one to the Heat, needing at least one more win on their home floor to truly threaten to take this series the distance. History isn’t on their side, though, as NBA teams are 0-150 when trailing 3-0 in a series.

Only three teams have pushed to a Game 7 since 1951, with the latest coming during the 2003 Western Conference first-round series between the Portland Trail Blazers and Dallas Mavericks.

The Lakers were the latest team to be eliminated after trailing 3-0, but can the Celtics overcome history? Oddsmakers certainly are betting on a longer series after Boston was able to win in Miami.

Odds updated as of 9 a.m. on May 24.

Somehow, the Celtics’ odds have dropped drastically, from as high as +700 to win the Eastern Conference to now +230 at FanDuel to win the conference after Tuesday night. In addition to their odds to win the conference dropping, the Celtics are now +470 to win the NBA Finals after being valued at 16/1 after the Nuggets swept the Lakers and became the overall betting favorite to win the NBA championship.

The Heat, on the other hand, were +260 at FanDuel to win the NBA title entering Tuesday’s game, but now have longer odds at +390, a small but significant increase as the series shifts back to Boston for a pivotal Game 5. Speaking of the next game, the Celtics, who were 1.5-point underdogs Tuesday night, are back to being favored ahead of Thursday night’s matchup.

» READ MORE: Nuggets heavy favorites to win first NBA championship after sweeping Lakers in conference finals

If the Celtics are to come back against the Heat, they have to defend their home floor, something they failed to do in the first two games of the series. The Heat haven’t lost back-to-back games in their entire 2023 playoff run.

The Nuggets, who are awaiting their opponent when the NBA Finals begin June 1 in Denver, are still significant favorites to win the NBA championship as the Eastern Conference sorts itself out.

Here’s how the odds for NBA champion looked Wednesday morning at FanDuel: