The NBA season heats up with an in-season tournament matchup between the Miami Heat and Charlotte Hornets. Our NBA odds series continues with a Heat-Hornets prediction and pick.

After starting the season at 1-4, their worst five-game opening to a season since 2007, the Miami Heat have been on an absolute tear. They are in the middle of a five-game winning streak and, because of it, are sitting atop the Southeast Division. Their most recent win came on the road in San Antonio. In this game, the Heat were outscored 29-15 in the first quarter. However, led by Bam Adebayo and his 24-point, 11 rebound Double-Double, Miami outscored San Antonio 103-84 across the final three quarters. Now, their road trip heads to Charlotte, where they will look to further cushion their lead in the division with a win.

On the opposite end of the spectrum sits the Charlotte Hornets. The Hornets have lost three of their last four games and are at a 3-6 record. Most recently, they went on the road to Madison Square Garden to take on the Knicks. Unfortunately, it was the Knicks from the jump as they outscored the Hornets every quarter. However, Charlotte did see some impressive play from LaMelo Ball, dropping 32 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. In their first matchup this year against the Heat, the Hornets will be eager to shake these losses off and upset their rivals.

Here are the NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

NBA Odds: Heat-Hornets Odds

Miami Heat: -4.5 (-108)

Charlotte Hornets: +4.5 (-112)

Over: 223.5 (-112)

Under: 223.5 (-108)

How to Watch Heat vs. Hornets

Time: 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT

TV: Miami- Bally Sports Sun  Charlotte- Bally Sports Southeast

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why The Heat Could Cover The Spread

In one of the more unsurprising developments this season, the Charlotte Hornets have one of the worst defenses in the league. The Hornets come into this game boasting the worst defensive rating and are a bottom-five team in per-game averages of opponents' fast break points, opponent's points off of turnovers, and defensive rebounds. Simply put, the Hornets have been abysmal on defense and allow their opponents to capitalize off their mistakes easily. Additionally, the Hornets have not had a game where they have held another team under 110 points and are allowing an average of 123.1 points per game. Although the Heat have their fair share of injuries, they should do just fine against this Hornets defense.

While the Hornets' defensive efforts showcase them as one of the least disciplined teams in the NBA, the Miami Heat have proved to thrive in this area. Their discipline on both sides of the ball has led to them averaging the fewest fouls per game in the league. At just 16.8 fouls per game, the Heat rarely find themselves in foul trouble. This effort is needed as their roster is thin enough, with injuries sidelining some of their best players.

Why The Hornets Could Cover The Spread

Speaking on the Heat's injuries even more, Miami is entering this matchup with three key players on the injury report heading into this game. Tyler Herro is 100% out for this game, as he suffered a Grade 2 ankle sprain against Memphis on Wednesday. This hurts the team's offense, as he was already averaging 22.9 points per game with two 30+ point games this season. Then, Caleb Martin and Kyle Lowry are labeled as “Game Time Decisions” as they did not suit up against the Spurs on Sunday. With three pivotal players in the Heat rotation banged up, the Hornets should feel great as they are slated to have their entire team available to play.

Although the defensive presence has not been there for the Hornets, this squad has had one of the better offenses in the league. Particularly when it comes to driving to the basket. The Hornets are in the top five in assists and field goals made per game from drives. This has led to them averaging 30.4 points per game, coming solely off of drives. Seeing as the Heat have only one true big man in the lineup with Adebayo, look for the Hornets to continue to play to this strength and rack up points in bunches against this more undersized interior defense.

Final Heat-Hornets Prediction & Pick

This East Group B in-season tournament game between two Southeast Division rivals is sure to entertain. With both teams sitting at a 1-0 record, they are in prime position to potentially emerge as the Group winner with a win in this game. In this game, I will be going with the Miami Heat. It is always challenging to pick a team loaded up with injuries to win, but as the Heat have proved over their last five games, they have the depth to recover. Also, these two defenses do not compare to each other. Even if the Heat have difficulty finding a consistent scorer due to these injuries, they should be fine against one of the worst defenses in the league. Give me the Miami Heat against the spread in this one.

Final Heat-Hornets Prediction & Pick: Miami Heat -4.5 (-108)