Miami Heat vs Indiana Pacers betting tips and predictions for Friday’s clash in the NBA. Miami looks to end a 2-game losing streak as they take on losers of 3 games in a row the Indiana Pacers. Read on for all our free predictions and betting tips.
Miami Heat
It wasn’t the best of weeks for the Miami Heat as they’ve lost 2 games in a row and 3 of their last 4, but also on the injury front they lost Bam Adebayo who had surgery on his thumb which will keep him out for a couple of months. This team was already without their best player Jimmy Butler for their past 2 games which they both lost. Wednesday’s loss at home against Cleveland was a tough one as the Cavs ran over them and won by 26 points in the end. It was the first time in 20 games that Miami lost to Cleveland at home, Tyler Herro was the only bright spot in that game with 21 points. In the last 6 games the Heat have covered the spread once. However, they do have a solid record in head-to-head meetings with the Pacers having beaten them 8 times in the last 12 games.
Indiana Pacers
The Pacers also have a couple of injuries at the moment. T.J. McConnell is out indefinitely with a wrist problem, there’s still no news on when T.J. Warren is coming back, plus Justin Holiday has been placed in the health and safety protocols. Their form has also dipped a lot in this past week, they lost 4 of their last 5 games and are currently 13th in the Eastern Conference with a 9-15 record. One reason Pacers fans can be optimistic for tonight’s game is they’ve already beaten Miami once this season 102-91 after overtime back in late October. However, since then they’ve not been able to win more than 2 games in a row at any point, which is concerning for a team aiming to finish as one of the top 6 teams in the East this season. Pacers are just 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games vs Eastern Conference opponents.
With Adebayo and Butler out, this Miami team is without it’s two best players and I’m having a hard time justifying backing them here. Pacers haven’t been playing all that well lately, but they are still 6-5 ATS at home this season. I think they’ll get the job done vs a shorthanded Miami squad.
Indiana Pacers – Miami Heat Predictions & Odds
Indiana -5.0 Point Spread is available at -110 odds on bet365
With so many players out on both sides scoring could take a hit in tonight’s game. Even the first game of the season finished at just 86-86 before going to overtime for a final score of 102-91 with both teams being relatively healthy at that time. The O/U in their last 10 games head-to-head is 2-8 in favor of the under, their 3 most recent games have all cashed on the under as well. The last 5 games played in Indiana have all gone under the total, which isn’t really surprising considering the Pacers play the 20th fastest pace in the NBA, while Miami is even slower in 27th this season. In their last 3 games overall Miami is averaging 101 points per game, while the Pacers are at 103 per game. So all signs are pointing to a low scoring affair in this one, let’s back the under.
Under 208.5 Total Points is available at -110 odds on bet365
