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The Miami Heat will pay a visit to Spectrum Center to take on the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday night. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our NBA odds series, which includes our Heat-Hornets prediction, odds, and pick we have laid out below.
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The Miami Heat ended a three-game losing slide on Thursday when they took down the San Antonio Spurs, 112-95. Tyler Herro paced Miami for that one with 24 points off the bench, while also getting major contributions from Bam Adebayo (18 points, 11 rebounds), Jimmy Butler (17 points, 7-of-14 FG), and Duncan Robinson (17 points, four 3-PM). Prior to the Spurs win, they lost to the Boston Celtics and twice to the Toronto Raptors.
Meanwhile, the Hornets are coming off a heartbreaking defeat at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Terry Rozier scored a team-high 24 points for Charlotte, while Kelly Oubre contributed 21 points off the bench, including draining a clutch 3-pointer down the stretch. Unfortunately, the Hornets were unable to hold off Cleveland in the end after Kevin Love drained two clutch free-throws. Charlotte has now lost its last three games.
Here is how FanDuel has set the Heat–Hornets NBA odds for this Saturday night NBA matchup.
NBA Odds: Heat–Hornets Odds
Miami Heat: -3 (-110)
Charlotte Hornets: +3 (-110)
Over: 228 (-110)
Under: 228 (-110)
Why The Heat Could Cover The Spread
The books are seeing this to be a lot closer, despite the disparity between the two squads' records. Miami (33-20) sits at No. 2 in the conference, while Charlotte (28-25) is 9th. This could potentially become a matchup in the postseason if the pieces fall in place. Nonetheless, Miami may just be able to cover the spread here since they are the second-best team in the East. They also handily took care of the Hornets, 114-99, in their first meeting during the early portions of the season.
The Heat are also getting healthier as Kyle Lowry finally returned from a lengthy absence due to personal reasons. Jimmy Butler is listed as probable due to a left big toe irritation. Likewise, PJ Tucker is questionable due to a left knee issue, while Max Struss is also questionable with a right quad contusion. Caleb Martin is also questionable with left Achilles soreness, which could prevent what could be his first match-up against his brother Cody Martin of the Hornets.
After losing three in a row to two of the hottest teams in the East, Miami seems to have regained its mojo back with a solid victory over the Spurs. Tyler Herro continued to pad on his Sixth Man of the Year campaign with yet another strong performance, going for 20 points with five boards and five dimes. While he only had two points, Kyle Lowry provided the veteran leadership this team missed when he was away.
On the season, Miami is 20-12 against the East and 8-2 against teams in their division. On the road, they are at 15-14. Against the spread, the Heat have a solid 30-23 mark.
Why The Hornets Could Cover The Spread
The Charlotte Hornets have lost three in a row and five of their last seven outings. With the All-Star break coming up and the playoff seedings rounding into some kind of form, every game from this point out would have some kind of significance for the Hornets. And facing the team with the 2nd best record in the East should be a good test for this squad.
The Hornets put up a valiant effort against the Cleveland Cavaliers but ultimately came up short against one of the hottest teams in the NBA. Down by six with two minutes remaining, Charlotte scored three straight 3-pointers to take the lead with under a minute to go. But the Cavs finished the game with a 4-0 run, capped off by two Kevin Love free throws with 1.2 seconds left on the game clock.
The Hornets PR Twitter account has announced that Jalen McDaniels is out due to an ankle injury. Gordon Hayward missed six games due to health and safety protocols but made his return versus Cleveland.
The Hornets are 14-9 at home this season and are at 5-5 against their fellow Southeast Division teams. Against the spread, they are within Miami's ballpark at 30-22 on the season.
Final Heat–Hornets Prediction & Pick
With Miami getting most of its core pieces back, especially with Kyle Lowry finally returning, it might be safer to go with them on this one. Both teams have great records against the spread, but the narrow 3-point margin could be an easy cover for the no. 2 seeded Heat. Miami also won their first encounter by 15 points.
Final Heat–Hornets Prediction & Pick: Heat: -3 (-110)
