It will be a battle between Southeast Division opponents when the Charlotte Hornets (18-25) welcome the Miami Heat (26-19) to Spectrum Center. The game will air on Fox Sports Sun at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 20, 2018.
Charlotte opened as a 5-point favorite, while the game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 205 points.
Miami Heat at Charlotte Hornets Free Prediction
In the Heat’s last outing, they were beaten by the Brooklyn Nets, 101-95. Getting to the charity stripe was one of Brooklyn’s largest advantages. They had 26 free throw attempts, while Miami had 25. Hassan Whiteside led Miami in scoring with 22 points on 9-for-17 shooting.
The Hornets easily got past the Washington Wizards in their last contest, 133-109. The Hornets forced 16 turnovers and had an offensive rebounding percentage of 28.3 (above their season average of 22.7). With 18 points and 15 rebounds, Charlotte’s Dwight Howard put together a solid game.
The aggressive Charlotte offense looks poised to dominate from the free throw line. The Hornets currently rank second in the NBA with a free throw attempt (FTA) rate of 0.231, while Miami ranks 27th in FTA rate allowed (0.219). Moreover, the Heat, who rank 26th in offensive rebounding percentage (20.1 percent), might have a tough time getting second chance points against the Hornets, who rank second in defensive rebounding percentage (81.3 percent).
Miami comes into the game with records of 26-19 straight up (SU) and 20-22-2 against the spread (ATS). Heat games have a slight tendency to go under the total (54.5 percent).
Meanwhile, Charlotte is 18-25 SU and 18-21-4 ATS. A little over half of Hornets games have also finished under the total.
Josh Richardson has averaged 12.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.2 blocks over the last five games for Miami.
The Heat have emerged victorious in both contests against the Hornets this year, including a 104-98 victory the last time these teams met. Miami covered as a 6-point underdog and the game finished with a total of 202 points, which was just 1.5 points below the projected point total of 203.5 points. Miami’s 0.571 effective field goal percentage was its largest advantage over Charlotte, who had a mark of 0.470. In the loss, Howard recorded a double-double with 15 points and 16 rebounds.
Miami Heat at Charlotte Hornets Betting Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Heat, ATS Winner – Heat, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
On the road, Miami is 14-9 ATS with 13 unders, 9 overs and 1 push.
Charlotte is 11-12-1 ATS at home with 14 unders and 10 overs.
Miami is 15-3 when they allow less than 100 points, while Charlotte is 8-2.
The Heat are 19-7 when they reach the century mark, while the Hornets are 17-10.
Miami ranks second in three pointers allowed per game (25.4) while Charlotte ranks 23rd (30.2).
The Hornets rank second in rebounds per game (46.7) while the Heat rank 21st (41.9).
Charlotte ranks 10th in second chance points per game (13.2) while Miami ranks 28th (10.1).
The Heat rank third in assists allowed per game (20.0) while the Hornets rank 20th (23.4).
Charlotte ranks first in points off turnovers allowed per game (13.7) while Miami ranks 14th (16.0).
The Heat rank seventh in blocks per game (5.2) while the Hornets rank 18th in blocks allowed per game (5.1).
Charlotte ranks 16th in points in the paint per game (43.4) while Miami ranks 26th (41.3).
The Hornets rank second in steals allowed per game (6.6) while the Heat rank 11th (7.4).
Charlotte ranks 24th in fast break points per game (9.3) while Miami ranks 27th (7.4).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Miami is 4-1 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders.
Charlotte is 3-2 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders over their last five games.
The Heat have outscored opponents by an average of 3.4 points in their last five games. On the season, Miami has been defeated by an average of 0.7 points.
During their last five games, the Hornets have scored an average of 110.4 points per game (4.7 above their season average) and allowed an average of 104.0 points per game (1.7 below their season average).
