Miami Heat Betting Preview
The Miami Heat looked like they were going to miss out on the playoffs for most of the regular season, but they reeled off eight wins from their past 12 games to get into the Play-In Tournament. They beat the Bulls and the Hawks. In Friday’s 123-114 win over the Hawks, Tyler Herro led the team with 30 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists on 10 of 21 shooting. Andrew Wiggins added 20 points with eight rebounds and eight assists, Bam Adebayo tallied 17 points with 11 rebounds, five assists, and five blocks, while Davion Mitchell chipped in with 16 points off the bench.
As a team, the Heat shot 50 percent from the field and 16 of 42 from the 3-point line as they looked in trouble when they squandered a 17-point lead to allow the Hawks to force overtime. However, they connected on three straight 3-pointers in overtime to claim the win and earn their ticket to the NBA Playoffs.
Cleveland Cavaliers Betting Preview
Meanwhile, the Cleveland Cavaliers are coming into these playoffs with plenty of confidence, as they racked up 64 wins in the regular season to earn the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Donovan Mitchell led the team with averages of 24.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game. Darius Garland averaged 20.6 points and 6.7 assists per game.
Evan Mobley took his game to another level with averages of 18.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.6 blocks per game. Jarrett Allen played all 82 games and averaged 13.5 points and 9.7 rebounds per game. As a team, the Cavaliers scored 121.9 points per game while shooting 49.1 percent from the field and 38.3 percent from the 3-point line, but their strength was their scoring depth and their defense which ranked second in the league overall.
Why the Cleveland Cavaliers will win
- The Cavaliers have won each of their last 10 playoff home games against Southeast Division opponents following a loss.
- The Heat have lost each of their last eight road games against Central Division opponents following a win.
- The Heat have failed to cover the spread in each of their last seven night games following an overtime win.
- The Cavaliers have covered the spread in each of their last six home games following a home loss.
Why the Miami Heat will win
- The Heat have won four of their last five playoff games as underdogs against Central Division opponents.
- The Cavaliers have lost four of their last five Game 1s of a playoff series.
- The Heat have covered the spread in each of their last six games as underdogs.
- The Cavaliers have failed to cover the spread in each of their last six Sunday games at Rocket Arena.
Cleveland Cavaliers Player Facts
- Jarrett Allen ranks 1st amongst qualified players for FG% (70.6%) this season.
- De’Andre Hunter is one of only five players to have scored 35+ points off the bench in a game this season.
Miami Heat Player Facts
- Kyle Anderson ranks 6th amongst qualified players for assist:turnover ratio (3.9) this season.
- Tyler Herro ranks T7th in the league for fast break points (290) this season.
Cavaliers vs Heat Prediction
The Heat are still missing Kevin Love due to personal reasons, while the Cavaliers don’t have a single player listed on the injury report. The Heat have gone through so much already this season, but they refused to give up and had to take the scenic route through the Play-In Tournament to earn their ticket to the NBA Playoffs.
In contrast, the Cavaliers were one of the most consistent teams in the league all season, and they have been resting players for weeks now as they had the top seed locked up early. The Cavaliers beat the Heat in two of three meetings during the regular season, but I will be surprised if this series goes past four games. The Cavaliers are primed for a deep run, and I think it starts with a dominant win and cover at home in this one.