The Charlotte Hornets host the Miami Heat for a divisional matchup. It's time to continue our NBA odds series with a Heat-Hornets prediction and pick.
The Hornets shocked me last night. They came to play in Minnesota and stunned the Timberwolves who are fighting for a playoff spot. They took down the Twolves 121-113 as LaMelo Ball and Gordan Hayward each had a huge game. Ball finished with 32 points and Hayward 27 to outlast Minnesota who is still finding their place without Karl-Anthony Towns. The Hornets improved to (18-43) on the season and have the 4th-worst record in the NBA and four games ahead of the last-place Houston Rockets.
Opposite the Hornets, the Heat had a terrible night in Milwaukee. Facing the No. 2 team in the East, The Heat lost 128-99 in a game that was never close. Giannis Antetokounmpo left the game early with knee issues and the Bucks still dominated. The Heat are one of the better defensive teams in the NBA but could not stop Jrue Holiday and also the Bucks' frontcourt. Miami fell to (32-28) Which places them 7th in the Eastern Conference.
Here are the Heat-Hornets NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Heat-Hornets Odds
Miami Heat: -6 (-106)
Charlotte Hornets: +6 (-114)
Over: 227.5 (-110)
Under: 227.5 (-110)
How To Watch Heat vs. Hornets
TV: Bally Sports Sun, Bally Sports Southeast
Stream: NBA League Pass, YouTube Primetime, fuboTV
Time: 7:00 ET/4:00 PT
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Heat Could Cover The Spread
Kyle Lowry, Omer Yertseven, and Nikola Jovic are all out for tonight's game. Both teams are on a back-to-back and have some crucial players not on the court tonight. The Heat are going to cover this spread if they find a way to score consistently. This team has never been one of the higher-scoring teams since the LeBron and Wade era ended. And that still stands today. Miami is dead last in scoring averaging just 108.2 points per game while allowing around the same mark. They certainly make up for it on the defensive end, but losing by 30 while Jimmy Butler goes 8-10 shooting is not what this team wants heading into the postseason.
The Heat will need to contain Ball and Terry Rozier, who have formed a dynamic backcourt that is not shy of attacking the basket and stepping back for three. Hayward is a problem as well when they are getting going but the good news for the Heat is that Charlotte is one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA. They allow 118.8 per game which should make Butler and Bam Adebayo very hungry. Kevin Love didn't score last night but should get comfortable soon and this might be the night.
Why The Hornets Could Cover The Spread
P.J. Washington suffered a foot sprain and is doubtful for tonight. Cody Martin remains out but if Washington is unable to go, then that really hurts the Hornets. He scored 20 points last night and grabbed eight boards in 35 minutes. Kelly Oubre had an off night going 2-6 with eight points. Oubre will need to bounce back against a solid defense tonight if the Hornets want a shot at having the same success they did last night.
Rozier and Ball have a chance to hurt a slim backcourt for the Heat. Gabe Vincent and Tyler Herro are not playing well offensively and are not known to be elite defenders. They can't allow Butler and Adebayo to have a huge night. However, they will certainly be hungry after the bad taste leaving Milwaukee.
Final Heat-Hornets Prediction & Pick
Miami is on a three-game losing streak while the Hornets are on a three-game winning streak. Something has to give tonight and I expect it to be a close game. Take the Hornets to cover at home as their offense has been in rhythm as of late.
Final Heat-Hornets Prediction & Pick: Hornets +6 (-114); Under 227.5 (-110)
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