Heat vs. Hornets Pick
Will the Miami Heat be the correct play for bettors tonight as an underdog at the Charlotte Hornets? Tip-off is at 7PM ET.
Who Oddsmakers Like: Charlotte. According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, the Hornets are a 4.5-point favorite on the spread line. The total is set at 205 points. Charlotte opened as a 5.5-point fave, while the total has remained at 205.
Who the Public Likes: Miami. As of Saturday morning, 62 percent of the betting public has sided with the Heat.
Injury Report: Miami shooting guard Tyler Johnson has sat out the last two games with a sprained ankle and is questionable tonight. Dion Waiters is out for the season following ankle surgery. Okaro White is out until the All-Star Break with a foot injury. Rodney McGruder is out until mid-April with a stress fracture in his leg. For the Hornets, Cody Zeller is out until late January after knee surgery.
Who the Trends Like: Miami is 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings overall. The under is 21-5 in the last 26 meetings in Charlotte and 9-2 in the last 11 meetings overall.
Who We Like: Although the Heat played last night and suffered a loss at the Nets, overall they have been playing much better basketball than the Hornets. Miami has won eight of its last 10 and prevailed 104-98 the last time it played in Charlotte. Although Charlotte has won two in a row, it is hard to trust it to put much more of a winning streak together. The Heat have dominated this series lately and I expect it to continue for another game here. Additionally, the trade rumors involving Charlotte star point guard Kemba Walker can’t be helping the Hornets’ focus.
NBA DAILY PREDICTION: MIAMI HEAT +4.5