Miami Heat (19-17) vs. Portland Trailblazers (13-24)
January 11, 2025 10:00 pm EDT
The Line: Portland Trailblazers +3.5; Over/Under: 217
(Get latest betting odds)
The Portland Trail Blazers play host to the Miami Heat at the Moda Center on Saturday night. Here’s a Trail Blazers vs Heat Prediction. This article will include a Trail Blazers vs Heat Pick.
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat have been in decent shape as they’ve won six of their last 10 games overall, and they will be aiming for a third straight victory after sneaking past the Jazz in a 97-92 road win on Thursday. Tyler Herro led the team with 23 points, seven rebounds, and five assists, Jaime Jacquez Jr added 20 points with seven assists while Bam Adebayo chipped in with 15 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks. As a team, the Heat shot just 39 percent from the field and 14 of 50 from the 3-point line. The Heat held the Jazz to just 14 points in the second quarter to take a narrow lead into halftime, before they went on a pivotal 17-8 run in the fourth quarter to escape with the narrow victory.
Portland Trail Blazers
Meanwhile, the Portland Trail Blazers have been in a rut as they’ve lost four of their last six games overall, and they will be hoping to bounce back after getting beaten by the Mavericks in a 117-111 road defeat on Thursday. Anfernee Simons led the team with 22 points on nine of 22 shooting, Shaedon Sharpe tallied 22 points with eight rebounds and three assists, while Scoot Henderson chipped in with 20 points off the bench. As a team, the Trail Blazers shot just 41 percent from the field and 16 of 36 from the 3-point line as they got off to a solid start. The Trail Blazers looked to be in control when they took a 12-point lead before they went cold and got blown away by 36-22 in the fourth quarter to allow the Mavericks off the hook in the end. The Blazers will play the Nets, Clippers, and Rockets next.
Why the Portland Trail Blazers will win
- The Heat have lost four of their last five games as road favorites following a win.
- The Trail Blazers have won each of their last three games as underdogs against Southeast Division opponents.
- The Heat have failed to cover the spread in each of their last six games as road favorites.
- The Trail Blazers have covered the spread in seven of their last eight games as underdogs following a road loss.
Why the Miami Heat will win
- The Trail Blazers have lost each of their last five games against Heat teams that held a winning record.
- The Heat have won each of their last four games at Moda Center.
- The Heat have covered the spread in seven of their last eight games as favorites against the Trail Blazers.
- The Trail Blazers have failed to cover the spread in each of their last five games against Heat teams that held a winning record.
Total Points Facts
- Each of the Trail Blazers’ last seven home games has gone OVER the total points line.
- Eight of the Heat’s last nine road games against Northwest Division opponents have gone UNDER the total points line.
Portland Trail Blazers Player Facts
- Anfernee Simons ranks 2nd in the Western Conference amongst qualified players for FT% (91.0%) this season.
- Toumani Camara ranks 23rd amongst qualified players for steals per game (1.4) this season.
Miami Heat Player Facts
- Tyler Herro ranks 5th amongst qualified players for three-pointers made Per Game (3.8) this season.
- Terry Rozier ranks 10th amongst qualified players for FT% (90.2%) this season.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Trail Blazers rank 30th in the league for Q1 points per game this season (25.4).
- The Trail Blazers rank 30th in the league for Q4 opponent points per game this season (29.8).
- The Heat rank 30th in the league for opponent free throw percentage this season (80.2%).
- The Heat rank 29th in the league for blocks per game this season (3.8).
Trail Blazers vs Heat Prediction
The Heat are still missing Josh Richardson, while the Trail Blazers have ruled out Jerami Grant, and they have Deandre Ayton as questionable. The Heat come into this game as the team in better form, despite the distractions of the Jimmy Butler drama. It won’t be easy against this Trail Blazers team, who were more than competitive against the Mavericks in their last contest. Still, the line is short enough for me, so I will go with the Heat to grind out a narrow win and cover on the road.
