The Miami Heat take on the Portland Trail Blazers. Check out our NBA odds series, which includes our Heat-Trail Blazers prediction and pick.
The Portland Trail Blazers are a very surprising 4-0. In an NBA season in which the Utah Jazz started 3-0 and the San Antonio Spurs have won three consecutive games, the Blazers have joined the parade of surprises in the Western Conference, causing everyone to wonder how long this fun ride might last. The Blazers' start is magnified by the fact that they have won with both offense and defense. They're not winning and playing the same game over and over again. They have won with 135 points scored and have won with 106 points scored. They have won nail-biters and blowouts. They have beaten weak teams, the Lakers and Kings, but they have also beaten the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets, widely viewed to be contenders in the West. They have faced a lot of different situations and have found the right responses to all of them. It will be fascinating to see where this team is in three weeks. Is this an outlier start to the season, or is it a sign of something more substantive, substantial, and sustainable in Portland?
The Miami Heat are 1-3 through four games, standing at the opposite end of the spectrum relative to the Blazers. Whereas Portland hopes it can maintain what it has done in its first four games, the Heat desperately need to break out of bad patterns and trends. Miami was not expected to be the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference for a second consecutive season, but this team was not expected to stumble out of the gate like this, either.
Miami's big concerns are the performances of Bam Adebayo and Kyle Lowry. They have not looked good in the early part of the season. Adebayo was horrendous in the season opener against the Chicago Bulls, and a lot of NBA observers are already wondering if Kyle Lowry is on the downslope of his NBA career, unable to reclaim an elite level of form due to the ravages of age and injury. Miami expressed faith in Adebayo's ability to become a complete two-way player with a well-rounded offensive game which would make him hard to guard and would therefore space the floor for the Heat's shooters, but Bam has not provided that kind of impact in the first week of this season, following a brutal Eastern Conference Finals series against the Boston Celtics this past season. Lowry was hurt in the 2022 playoffs and did not have the burst or effectiveness he needed in order to become the difference-making player he was for the Toronto Raptors when they won the 2019 NBA championship. Miami needs those two guys to become significantly better and to show that they can still play at a championship standard. Otherwise, the Heat could get swallowed up in an Eastern Conference where the Celtics and Bucks are going to be very hard to beat.
Here are the Heat-Trail Blazers NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Heat-Trail Blazers Odds
Miami Heat: -3 (-110)
Portland Trail Blazers: +3 (-110)
Over: 220 (-110)
Under: 220 (-110)
Why The Heat Could Cover The Spread
The Heat are not yet in must-win territory, but they are facing a very urgent situation this week as they embark on a West Coast road trip in late October. Miami can't afford to lose too much ground too early in the season. No team with championship aspirations wants to be pushing extra hard in January and February for each game. The Heat had a lead in the East standings last spring and didn't have to go all-out at the end of the regular season. They were able to manage their roster and withstand the Lowry injury, getting to Game 7 of the East Finals with a chance to win in the final minute against the Celtics. The Heat have to start stacking wins to get into a favorable position. Everyone in this locker room knows the stakes of this road trip. That urgency should help Miami.
Why The Trail Blazers Could Cover The Spread
Portland has been great. Miami has been bad. The Blazers have beaten the Suns and Nuggets at home. Why wouldn't they be able to handle the Heat?
Final Heat-Trail Blazers Prediction & Pick
The Heat are bound to start playing well, and Portland is due for some regression … but this is a stay-away game. Pick the Heat only if you're feeling adventurous.
Final Heat-Trail Blazers Prediction & Pick: Heat -3
Follow Us
Subscribe