Heat vs. Thunder Prediction
Fighting for their playoff lives in the East, the Miami Heat take a trip to OKC on Monday night to play a Thunder team that has struggled over their last 10 games. Even though the Heat played in a defensive struggle on Sunday, will tonight’s matchup be high-scoring for bettors?
Game Snapshot
541 Miami Heat at 542 Oklahoma City Thunder
8:00 p.m. ET, Monday, March 18, 2019
Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Our NBA Live Odds page pulls spreads and totals from multiple different online sportsbooks so you can compare betting odds to ensure you’re getting the best line.
Public Betting Trends
According to oddsmakers from online sportsbook BetNow.eu, the Thunder are 4.5-point favorites to beat the Heat. The total, meanwhile, sits at 214.5 points and as of this writing, 58% of the public betting tickets wagered at online sportsbooks are on the Thunder to cover the point spread.
Miami Heat Fantasy Spin
Goran Dragic went 7-of-11 from the field and 1-of-1 from the charity stripe for 19 points in 28 minutes off the bench during Sunday’s easy win over the Hornets. Dragic added four treys, four dimes, two boards and one turnover while he was out there, and this was easily his best game (and the most minutes he’s played) since getting back from the calf strain. He could be just about ready to return to the starting unit, which isn’t great news for Dion Waiters and Justise Winslow (thigh).
Oklahoma City Thunder Fantasy Spin
Russell Westbrook has been suspended for Monday’s game after picking up his 16th technical foul of the season on Saturday. Dennis Schroder should benefit the most in Westbrook’s absence, while Paul George will soak up extra usage and Raymond Felton should join the rotation. For every two techs Westbrook gets after No. 16 he’ll face another suspension, so hopefully he can keep his cool in the final 11 games for which he’ll be active. This also means he’ll play just two games in Week 23, a brutal turn of events for his fantasy owners.
NBA Betting Trends
Miami
The Heat have covered the spread in 20 of their last 28 road games and are 7-3 against the spread in their last 10 games overall.
Oklahoma City
The Thunder are just 3-11 against the spread in their last 14 games overall and failed to cover the number in five of their previous six home games.
Prediction
The under is 9-1 in the last 10 meetings between these two teams and is 5-0 in the last five meetings in OKC. That said, with Westbrook out tonight for the Thunder, I believe Oklahoma City’s offense will run at a more efficient clip. Westbrook likes to shoot and while he always gets his numbers, he can disrupt the rhythm of his own offense by taking ill-advised 3-pointers. Given that Miami is playing on tired legs, I like the over from the Heat’s standpoint as well. The over cashed in 14 of Miami’s last 18 games playing on zero rest.
Monday NBA Prediction: Heat/Thunder over 214.5