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Miami Struggling Badly Against Winning Teams
The Heat (11-16 SU, 19-7-1 ATS) haven’t been too hot this season against quality opposition, going 1-10 SU against teams above .500. Miami looks to reverse that trend when it visits Golden State (15-13, 14-14), which has been beating up on sub-.500 opponents recently at home.
- Date/Time: February 17, 10 p.m. ET
- Arena: Chase Center
- TV Coverage: ESPN
- Sportsbook Odds: Heat -1 | O/U 224.5 (Line History)
- Heat vs Warriors Matchup Report
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
Despite Miami’s 4-9 SU record on the road and its issues against winning teams, oddsmakers opened the Heat as 1-point favorites. Miami has covered eight of its last 10 meetings with the Warriors.
Miami News & Notes
Facing a Clippers squad that was without Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and two other starters, the Heat may have let down defensively Monday in Los Angeles. Miami allowed the Clips to shoot 53.3 percent from the field – including 10 of 18 from behind the arc – in the first half on its way to a 125-118 loss, falling to 3-9 ATS in its last 12 games.
“They were just comfortable all game,” Jimmy Butler told the Miami Herald. “We didn’t deserve to win.”
The Heat attack, however, has rarely looked better this season than it did on Monday. Miami committed just eight turnovers and posted its second-best offensive rating of the campaign.
Butler led the way with his second triple-double in three games, racking up 30 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in 38 minutes of work. Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo each added 27 points as Miami went OVER the total for just the second time in its last seven.
Golden State News & Notes
The Warriors continued to beat up on weak opponents at home Monday when they routed the Cavaliers 129-98 behind 36 points from Steph Curry. Draymond Green cracked double digits in assists for the sixth time in his last seven games, tying a career high with 16 dimes, and five other players had at least a dozen points for the Dubs.
The Warriors are now 5-0 SU in their last five home games vs teams with losing records, with an average margin of victory of 19.6 points in those contests.
Golden State is also playing defense at a high level these days, surrendering 105 points or less in four of its last five games. The Warriors are allowing the second-lowest field-goal percentage in the NBA this season and shouldn’t have much difficulty slowing down a Miami attack that is 27th in the league in points per game.
Golden State has gone OVER the total just three times in its last 10, with those contests coming against the Mavericks (twice) and Nets.
Betting Pick: UNDER 223.5
The Heat should bring a stronger effort after Monday’s disappointing loss, but their attack likely sputters again against Golden State’s underrated defense.
- Miami is 3-9 ATS in its last 12 games.
- The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Golden State’s last 10 games.
- Miami is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 games against Golden State.
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