Heat vs Hornets Prediction & Odds: Miami Looks To Stay Hot vs Skidding Hornets

The Miami Heat (37-21 SU, 33-25 ATS) look to stay hot Thursday when they travel to Spectrum Center to meet the Charlotte Hornets (29-30, 32-26-1). Miami is 5-1 in its last six games while Charlotte has won just one of its last nine outings, setting up a pretty easy decision for a Heat vs Hornets prediction.

Heat vs Hornets Odds & Analysis

Sportsbook Odds

The Heat opened as a modest 4-point favorite on the road with the total set at 225.5 points. The OVER is 9-4 in Miami’s last 13 games while the UNDER is 6-3 in Charlotte’s last nine. The Heat have also enjoyed plenty of success against the Hornets, winning 12 of the last 17 meetings – another reason to side with Miami in your Heat vs Hornets prediction.

Get the best Heat vs Hornets odds and lines available from our recommended sportsbooks for your favorite picks of the night.

Heat’s Surging Offense Shut Down Against Mavericks

The Heat’s five-game win streak was snapped in their last outing as they fell 107-99 to the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday. Jimmy Butler led all scorers with 29 points and added 10 boards for a double-double while Bam Adebayo (21 points, 12 rebounds) had a double-double of his own. Luka Doncic led the Mavericks with 21 points and 10 boards as five players scored 12 or more points for Dallas.

Tuesday’s loss was a rare low-scoring effort for the Heat, who have finished with fewer than 100 points only three times since the calendar flipped to 2022. Though their offense hasn’t been anything special this season, scoring 108.9 points per game (16th), Miami was averaging 112.8 points per contest over its five-game win streak.

Tyler Herro (knee), Victor Oladipo (knee), Markieff Morris (neck) and Dewayne Dedmon (back) are all out for Thursday’s game. Butler (shoulder), Udonis Haslem (eye) and Caleb Martin (Achilles) are questionable.

Hornets Blow Fourth-Quarter Lead To Timberwolves To Lose Again

The Hornets lost again on Tuesday, falling 126-120 to the Minnesota Timberwolves in overtime after squandering a 13-point lead in the fourth quarter. The Timberwolves got out to an eight-point lead midway through the overtime period and never looked back, led by a 39-point, 15-rebound performance from Karl-Anthony Towns. Miles Bridges led the Hornets with a double-double of his own, scoring 28 points and 13 boards.

While Charlotte has been excellent offensively this season, ranking second in the NBA (113.9 points per game), its defense has been very porous, allowing 114.8 points per contest (29th). Team defense has plagued the Hornets again over their last nine outings as they’ve surrendered 115.7 points per game while winning just once.

Jalen McDaniels (ankle) and Cody Martin (Achilles) are ruled out for Thursday’s matchup.

Heat vs Hornets Pick & Insights

Heat: Keys To Cover

Miami will look to take advantage of a very weak defensive team that’s clearly lacking confidence right now. Although they’ll be missing a key scorer in Herro, the Heat still have plenty of weapons to get the job done. If Butler’s good to go, he should be poised for a big night; he’s averaging 23.7 points over his last 10 outings and 29.5 points through two meetings against the Hornets this season.

Hornets: Keys To Cover

The Hornets don’t match up very well against the Heat, whose fifth-ranked defense has proven its ability to shut down their explosive offense. Over the first two meetings of the season, Charlotte has averaged just 92.5 points, so if the Hornets are going to keep this one close, they’ll need to somehow contain Miami’s offense.

Odds Shark’s Computer Heat vs Hornets Prediction: Heat -4.5

Check out more of Odds Shark’s signature NBA and NCAAB computer picks, plus our favorite sportsbooks that serve basketball customers.

See Odds Shark’s Best NBA Betting Sites