The Miami Heat are far from home as they get ready to play in the desert against the Phoenix Suns. It's time to continue our NBA odds series with a Heat-Suns prediction and pick.
The Heat are coming off a miserable loss to the Los Angeles Lakers 112-109 last time out. Without LeBron James or Anthony Davis, the Heat couldn't manage to beat one of the worst lineups in the game. That loss moved them down to the 8th seed in the East with a (20-19) record. Miami is still (6-4) in their last 10 games but need this win against the Suns to avoid going back to .500.
The Suns aren't perfect either. This team is going through it right now as not too long ago they were the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. Now, they also sit in the 8-spot with a (20-19) record. These two squads stack up nicely against one another and the battle between DeAndre Ayton and Bam Adebayo should be a good one. Remember, these two teams were both the 1-seed last season. The Suns have lost 4-straight games all on the road.
Here are the Heat-Suns NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Heat-Suns Odds
Miami Heat: -1 (-110)
Phoenix Suns: +1 (-110)
Over: 213 (-110)
Under: 213 (-110)
How To Watch Heat vs. Suns
TV: ESPN
Stream: ESPN APP
Time: 10 ET/ 7 PT
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Heat Could Cover The Spread
Miami has a handful of players who are banged up and are out for tonight's action. Nikola Jovic, Duncan Robinson, and Omer Yurtseven are out while Udonis Haslem and Caleb Martin are questionable. Dewayne Dedmon is probable so that leaves really seven players who can be relied on for tonight. The good news is that their stars are available and they need them to really get going tonight. Jimmy Butler scored 27 against the Lakers and Adebayo scored 30. It wasn't enough as their defense was unable to stop Dennis Schroder and his 32 points.
Believe it or not, the Heat have the worst offense in the NBA. That might come as a shocker as they were the top seed in the East last season and returned with the same exact roster. They average just 109 points per game which is tied for the worst alongside the Los Angeles Clippers. Their FG% is 45.4% which is 26th in the NBA and their 3-point% is not any better at 34%, good for 24th in the league. Something needs to change quickly and no better time than against a struggling opponent.
Why The Suns Could Cover The Spread
Phoenix is happy to be home as their road trip ended badly. They played the Cavs on Wednesday and scored just 88 points. Devin Booker remains out and Chris Paul and Ayton are not enough to win games, it seems. CP3 is fresh off of a 25-point game where he also dished out eight assists. Ayton had 15 points and a massive 18 rebounds but the teamwork of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen got the best of him.
Jae Crowder and Cameron Payne join Booker on the bench. Well, Crowder won't be there as he is currently not with the team. Payne is dealing with foot soreness and the solid backup point guard will be missed. Payne averages 12.1 points and 5.3 assists but played only nine minutes against the Cavs. With their lineup being thin, it will take a lot for them to stop Butler and Adebayo. Ayton must be at the top of his game once again.
Final Heat-Suns Prediction & Pick
This is going to be a defensive battle. Both teams are struggling offensively but I expect them to score more than 214 combined. Take the over in this game as the best call on the board as well as the Heat by a point.
Final Heat-Suns Prediction & Pick: Miami Heat -1 (-110); Over 213 (-110)
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