One of the biggest games of the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers' seasons is Sunday afternoon when the teams battle for playoff positioning. The Pacers sit in sixth in the Eastern Conference with a 44-34 record, half a game ahead of the Heat, who have a 43-34 record. The teams have the Philadelphia 76ers and a returning Joel Embiid breathing down their necks in eighth, but they know how important it is to get the sixth position and a guaranteed spot in the playoffs. Only one of these teams will likely get into the playoffs, with the other battling in the play-in tournament. It is time to continue our NBA odds series with a Heat-Pacers prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.

The Heat went from the play-in to the NBA Finals last season, but they are playing like a team that wants the automatic playoff bid this season. They've won five of their past seven games, and a win over Indiana will put them in the driver's seat for the sixth seed. They've lost two games to the Philadelphia 76ers over their last ten games, so a matchup with them in the seventh vs eighth game wouldn't be ideal.

The Heat haven't been able to gain on the Pacers because they have also won six of their last ten games. The Pacers haven't been playing like a team that advanced to the in-season tournament finals, so it wouldn't be a big surprise if they squander their early start and end up in the play-in tournament. These teams could end up playing each other in the play-in, and they split a two-game back-to-back in Miami at the end of November.

Here are the NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

NBA Odds: Heat-Pacers Odds

Miami Heat: +1 (-110)

Moneyline: -102

Indiana Pacers: -1 (-110)

Moneyline: -116

Over: 229.5 (-110)

Under: 229.5 (-110)

How to Watch Heat vs. Pacers

Time: 5 PM ET/2 PM PT

TV: Bally Sports Indiana, Bally Sports Sun

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why The Heat Could Cover The Spread/Win

The Heat's offense has been one of the best in the NBA recently, which could be an issue for the Pacers. Indiana's defense has improved, but they still aren't elite. The Heat have the second-best scoring offense over their last five games, averaging 118.8 points per game. They've increased their emphasis on three-point shooting, taking 38.4 shots per game and hitting them at a 40.6% rate.

The Heat also own the second-best scoring defense over the last five games, limiting opponents to 100.2 points per game. The Pacers have one of the best offenses in the NBA all season, but at this time of year, the Heat have shown an ability to lock down good scorers.

Why The Pacers Could Cover The Spread/Win

The Heat's offense has improved thanks to their three-point shooting, but the Pacers are in the best position to shut them down. The Pacers have the best three-point defense in the NBA over the last five games, limiting opponents to 29 shots per game and allowing just 32.4%, ranking first and fifth in the league.

Final Heat-Pacers Prediction & Pick

This game could go either way, as each team earned a blowout win over the other in a back-to-back earlier in the season. Those games had plenty of points, as the Heat were figuring out their defense and the Pacers owned a historically good offense. The Pacers have come back down to earth since then, and their defense has improved. The Heat have been known to slow the game down when it gets tight and rely on their elite defense. The Heat's offensive resurgence will be slowed by the Pacers' elite three-point defense in this game. Take this matchup to go under.

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Final Heat-Pacers Prediction & Pick: Under 229.5 (-110)