The Cleveland Cavaliers (38-27) head down to South Beach Friday to play the Miami Heat (44-23). Tip-off at FTX Arena is set for 8 p.m. ET. Below, we look at the Cavaliers vs. Heat odds and lines, and make our expert NBA picks, predictions and bets.
Cleveland has struggled to start the final stretch of the season but has won back-to-back games over the Toronto Raptors Sunday and the Indiana Pacers Tuesday. The Cavs 3-4 straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS) since the All-Star break.
Miami had its three-game win streak snapped Wednesday in a 111-90 loss at home to the Phoenix Suns as a 3.5-point favorite. The Heat are 6-2 SU and ATS following the All-Star Game.
The Cavs are 2-0 SU and ATS versus the Heat this season but Miami forwards Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo missed both meetings. However, Cleveland did win three of the “four factors” in each contest.
Cavaliers at Heat odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 2:03 p.m. ET.
- Money line (ML): Cavaliers +250 (bet $100 to win $250) | Heat -320 (bet $320 to win $100)
- Against the spread: Cavaliers +6.5 (-102) | Heat -6.5 (-122)
- Over/Under (O/U): 210.5 (O: -112 | U: -108)
Cavaliers at Heat key injuries
Cavaliers
- C Jarrett Allen (finger) out
- SG Caris LeVert (foot) out
Heat
- SF Jimmy Butler (illness) questionable
[tipico]
Cavaliers at Heat odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
Heat 112, Cavaliers 109
Money line
PASS until Butler’s official game status is announced. If Butler misses Friday’s game then I’d sprinkle on Cleveland (+250) because the Cavs smoked the Heat in their first two meetings this season and Butler missed both of those games.
PLAY: Free, daily sports pick’em contests. Play now!
Against the spread
BET the CAVALIERS +6.5 (-102) because it’s a more profitable spot for them than the Heat.
Cleveland is 11-4 ATS on the road versus teams with a winning record, 9-3 ATS when being spotted 5-7 points and 13-7-1 ATS as a road underdog with a plus-6.9 ATS margin. Miami is 13-14 ATS as a home favorite with a minus-2.6 ATS margin.
Both teams rank in the top-10 of net rating but the Cavs perform much better versus tough competition. Cleveland has a plus-3.2 adjusted net rating versus teams in the top-10 of net efficiency (ranked third) and plus-6.3 ATS margin (ranked first) According to CleaningTheGlass.com (CTG).
Whereas Miami has a minus-3.3 adjusted net rating and a minus-0.8 ATS margin versus top-10 teams. The Cavs are also first in both adjusted net rating and ATS margin on the road versus top-10 teams, per CTG.
Miami excels at getting to the charity stripe and knocking down 3s but Cleveland is second in defensive FT/FGA rate and eighth in 3-point attempts allowed per game.
The CAVALIERS +6.5 (-102) is my favorite wager in this game.
Over/Under
PASS because the situational trends in this game are all over the place and this total feels too low even though these teams didn’t combine for 200 points in either of their first two meetings.
Bet legally online with a trusted partner: Tipico Sportsbook, Sportsbook Wire’s official sportsbook partner in CO, NJ and soon IA. Bet now!
If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW. Please gamble responsibly.
Follow Geoff Clark on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
Additional NBA sports coverage:
HoopsHype | Celtics Wire | LeBron Wire | Lonzo Wire | Nets Wire | Rockets Wire | Sixers Wire | Thunder Wire | Warriors Wire | Rookie Wire | List Wire
Gannett may earn revenue from Tipico for audience referrals to betting services. Tipico has no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. See Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. 21+ only. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA).
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1622]