Another conference tilt will be played as a part of a ten-game slate in the NBA scheduled for Wednesday, February 15, and here you can read the best Heat vs. Nets betting pick and odds.
Brooklyn is hoping to avoid the third straight defeat when they host Miami at Barclays Center. The Heat are slight 1-point favorites on BetRivers Sportsbook, while the total is set at 220 points. These conference rivals will meet for the second time this year, the Nets edged the Heat 102-101 in Miami back in January.
Heat lost narrowly to the Nuggets at home
The Miami Heat (32-26, 22-34-2 ATS) were hoping to secure their fourth consecutive win, but Nikola Jokic and Denver Nuggets had other plans. The Heat lost 112-108 to the Nuggets at home after shooting 43.8% from the field and losing the second quarter by 12 points, which proved to be vital in this defeat. The visitors were better in assists (34-25), while Denver was excellent from the floor (57.9%). Miami will open a three-game road trip with this duel in Brooklyn.
Jimmy Butler led the Heat with a near-triple-double performance. Butler had 24 points, team-high ten rebounds, and game-high nine assists, Max Strus added 23 points, seven boards, and four dishes, Bam Adebayo scored 19 points with two steals, while Gabe Vincent contributed 15 points and four dimes.
PG Kyle Lowry (knee), SG Victor Oladipo (ankle), SG Tyler Herro (knee), C Omer Yurtseven (ankle), and F Nikola Jovic (back) are out indefinitely. F Duncan Robinson (finger) is questionable to face Brooklyn on Wednesday.
Nets displayed a weak second half against the Knicks
The Brooklyn Nets (33-24, 28-27-2 ATS) lost four of the last five games and are on a two-game losing skid after losing to the divisional foes Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks. While the Nets stayed close against Philadelphia, they didn’t have a chance at Madison Square Garden after scoring just 45 and allowing 66 points in the second half. Brooklyn shot 44.9% from the field opposite New York’s 54.9% from the floor.
Spencer Dinwiddie led the Nets with 28 points and game-high four assists. Cam Johnson had 14 points and six rebounds, while Nic Claxton added 11 points and six boards. Brooklyn and head coach Jacque Vaughn are still working hard to assemble a regular starting lineup and put all the pieces together following Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving’s departures, but it seems that the Nets will be good enough to make it to the playoffs.
Trends:
Miami:
1-5 ATS in the last six games overall
2-5 ATS in the last seven games vs. a team with a winning straight-up record
0-4 ATS in the last four games playing on one day of rest
Brooklyn:
9-4 ATS in the last 13 games overall
4-0 ATS in the last four home games vs. a team with a losing road record
4-1 ATS in the last five games following a straight-up loss
Miami Heat vs. Brooklyn Nets Pick
I am well aware that the Nets need more time to improve their chemistry as they now have plenty of new players on the roster after the trade deadline. They entered the rebuild and although this season is not their priority, the Nets will be hoping to reach the postseason. Miami is struggling with injuries at the moment, so the Heat will rely heavily on Jimmy Butler and his contribution on both ends of the floor, while, I believe, the Nets have more offensive talent. After all, the Heat have the worst offense in the NBA that scores 108.4 points per game opposite Brooklyn’s 114.0 ppg. The Heat do have the second-best defense in the league, but the Nets are also in the top 10 in that segment. Miami lost four of the last six road games.
Pick: Take the Nets +3.5 (-133)
The Total
Brooklyn’s out-of-sync offense will have problems against one of the best defensive units in the NBA. Miami is not a high-scoring team and both teams are not even among the top 20 when it comes to pace, so I don’t expect to see a bunch of buckets here. The Nets won the previous H2H 102-101 and I think we will have a similar outcome on Wednesday. Under is 6-1 in the last seven H2H meetings; Under is 8-3-1 in the previous 12 H2H duels in Brooklyn, while Under is 16-7 in the Heat’s last 23 games playing on one day of rest.
Pick: Go Under 221.5 points (-130)
