Wizards vs. Heat Prediction
Can the Miami Heat get over the .500 mark tonight when they play host to the struggling Washington Wizards at 8PM ET?
531 Washington Wizards vs. 532 Miami Heat
Friday, January 4, 2019
8PM ET – American Airlines Arena
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Public Betting Trends
According to oddsmakers at BetNow.eu, the Heat are favored at home, as they are getting odds of -6.5 points against the Wizards. The over/under total for the contest is listed at 214.5 points. The public betting for this game currently has 68 percent going on the Heat at home. This information is subject to change, however, so be sure to check out our NBA Public Betting Page for updated figures on the game.
Wizards seeking rare win streak
The Wizards have actually put together back-to-back wins at home over Charlotte and Atlanta and now seek a third-straight win tonight. Washington is 15-23 on the season, 4-16 on the road, 14-24 against the spread and 22-16 with the over.
Washington actually is pretty respectable on offense, averaging 112.7 points per game while shooting 46.4 percent. However, its defense is among the worst in the league, allowing 116.9 points per game while opponents shoot 47.3 percent from the field and 36.9 percent from the arc. The team is already without Dwight Howard and John Wall, now Markieff Morris is out until February with a back injury. Bradley Beal is averaging 23.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game to lead the team.
Heat trying to get over hump
Miami has been playing well for a few weeks, winning seven of their last nine games to get to the .500 mark for the season. The Heat are now 18-18 on the season, 8-11 at home, 21-15 against the spread and 20-16 with the over.
The Heat have one of the better defenses in the NBA, allowing just 105.7 points per game while holding opponents to 43.7 percent shooting. Offensively, Miami averages just 106.9 points per game, but the Heat do shoot 36.1 percent from the arc, which is in the top 10 in the NBA. Miami also has some injuries, with Goran Dragic out until February with a knee injury while Udonis Haslem, Wayne Ellington and Dwyane Wade are all questionable with an illness. Josh Richardson is leading the team with 18.5 points per game while Hassan Whiteside is adding 12.9 points, 12.8 rebounds and 2.55 blocks per game.
NBA Betting Trends
Washington
The Wizards are 16-35 against the spread in their last 51 road games and just 3-10 ATS in their last 13 overall.
Miami
The Heat have covered the spread in 13 of their last 16 games overall and in five straight conference games.
Prediction:
Both teams have some injury issues to deal with, but Washington is really depleted. The Wizards have managed some wins at home despite all that, but going on the road is likely to be another story. Miami has been playing well with its cast of characters and the return of Whiteside has been a nice boost. He should be able to control the paint tonight against Washington while the Heat defense limits this beat-up Washington offense.
NBA Prediction: Miami Heat -6.5