The Indiana Pacers and the Miami Heat come into their Monday matchup with identical 43-27 records which pretty much puts those odds for the game in a tight spot. They would meet in the first round of the playoffs if Eastern Conference seedings don’t change, but there is also Philadelphia, sitting just a game back of them both. Miami has dropped two in a row, while the Pacers won their last game and have won seven of their last ten, dating back to March. Can the Heat stop their slide, or will they try to gain some separation from the Pacers?
Take a look at our basketball betting thoughts on this Monday night matchup.
NBA Betting: Miami Heat vs Indiana Pacers (August 10)
When: Friday, August 7, 2020, 8:00 pm ET
Where: ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, Orlando
TV: ESPN
Radio: 790 AM The Ticket Miami / 1070 AM The Fan Indianapolis
Live Stream: fuboTV
NBA Odds: Indiana -2.5 | Check the Odds before the Game is off the Board
Why should you bet on Miami?
Miami will not have one of their big young stars, as Kendrick Nunn has left the NBA“bubble” in Orlando due to personal reasons. Jimmy Butler (foot) and Goran Dragic (ankle) are on the “probable” list for the game. In the “bubble,” Miami has gone just 2-3, and their defense has been slightly more leaky, giving up about four more points per game than they did in the regular season before the COVID-19 shutdown. Butler has missed three straight games, and his return will be key to any hopes the Heat has for a long run.
The Heat’s most recent setback came on Saturday against the Phoenix Suns, who are pushing hard down the stretch to try and snag at least the ninth slot in the Western Conference and have a talented, young team. The Heat did jump out to a 32-25 lead after the first period, but then the Suns came back to tie the game at halftime and pulled away for a 119-112 win. Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro led Miami with 25 points apiece, and Bam Adebayo had another huge game with 18 points, seven boards and nine assists. Jae Crowder (17) and Andre Iguodala (12) also hit double figures in points, and Herro led the team with 10 assists while tying for the team lead in rebounds with Kelly Olynyk, as both had eight. But can the Heat get stops against Indiana?
Why should you put your money on the Pacers?
T.J. Warren (foot) is listed as questionable for Monday’s games. The rivalry that has built between Warren and Jimmy Butler has gotten interesting; in the last game where the two met, Butler was blowing Warren kisses as Warren left via ejection, and then Butler went on Instagram to call Butler “trash.” Indiana has played well in the “bubble,” going 4-1 and posting a Net Rating of +2.9, fifth best among the 22 teams in Orlando.
Indiana beat the Lakers on Saturday, 116-111, despite watching LeBron James drop 31 points on them. The key came in limiting the damage from Anthony Davis, who only put up eight points. The Pacers led by ten after the first quarter, but the Lakers dominated the second and went into halftime up five. However, the Pacers took charge in the third. Warren dropped 39 points on the Lakers, and Malcolm Brogdon (24) and Victor Oladipo (22) also did a lot of damage. Aaron Holiday led the team with seven assists, and Oladipo led in rebounds with seven. Coming back in the second half showed a lot of mental strength, and if Warren can get his foot healthy, the Pacers should be able to score on the Heat.
Final Score and Prediction
The Pacers seem to be moving in a better direction than the Heat, who started strong in the “bubble” but have slipped a bit in Butler’s absence. Check the latest injury reports before you lock in your wager, but for now, I like Indiana to win, 108-103.
Heat vs Pacers | Check the Odds
