The Miami Heat are on the second night of a back-to-back as they travel to Detroit to face the Pistons. Now is a great time to continue our NBA Odds series with a prediction and pick and find out how to watch the game.
The Heat suffered a 14-point loss in Chicago on Saturday night. In a game that saw them drop to 25 at halftime, the Heat were able to narrow their lead into the fourth quarter before the Bulls pulled out again. Without Kyle Lowry in the lineup, Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Max Strus scored 67 of the team’s 99 points in the loss. During the season, Miami tries to get into the playoffs in sixth place from the play-in tournament. They’re two games behind the Brooklyn Nets but can gain some ground with a win on Sunday.
The Pistons are playing at home for the seventh time in eight games in this encounter with the Heat. Detroit hasn’t played since Thursday in a 119-100 loss to the Denver Nuggets. However, all five starters for the Pistons were in double digits alongside two bench players. Detroit sits bottom in the Eastern Conference and currently holds the league’s worst record at 16-55.
Here are the Heat-Pistons NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Heat Pistons Odds
Miami Heat: -10 (-110)
Detroit Pistons: +10 (-110)
About: 218 (-110)
Below: 218 (-110)
Here’s how you see Heat vs. Pistons
TV: Bally Sports Detroit, Bally Sports Sun
Stream: NBA League Pass
Time: 6:00 p.m. ET / 4:00 p.m. PT
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)*
Why the heat could cover the spread
Miami is one of the best teams in the league defensively. They’re giving up just 109.7 points per game, which is good for second-best in the league. They are also the top 5 in steals per game at 8.2. Another thing the Heat are exceptionally good at is free throws. They shoot over 20 free throws per game and make 83.1 percent of them. Making those free throws is what can make or lose games in the fourth quarter, and the Heat is constantly in close games.
One thing to note about Saturday’s heat loss is that they were without their leading assistant, Kyle Lowry. Lowry averages 5.2 assists per game and lightens the offense for Miami. He’s still in everyday life, but he has an opportunity to return to Detroit. The Pistons are struggling with injuries themselves. Bojan Bogdanovic will not play on Sunday and could be out for the rest of the season. He’s the leading points-scorer for Detroit, and without him, the Heat should have no problem stopping the Pistons’ offense.
Why the cobs could cover the spread
Detroit should go into this game with confidence despite not having Bogdanovic in the lineup. Back in December, the Pistons clinched a 20-point win in the teams’ only game of the season in Miami. However, there will be some catching up to do without their best player showing up.
Jaden Ivey will try to close the gap. In the seven games he’s played without Bogdanovic this season, Ivey has 16.7 points, 7 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game, including two double-doubles. James Wiseman has played 13 games with Detroit since being traded and has done well. Averaging 13.2 points and 9.0 rebounds per game with the Pistons, Wiseman needs to protect the paintwork and have a big game if the Pistons are to win.
Miami is allowing opponents to shoot 37 percent from 3-point range this season, which ranks in the bottom 10 in the NBA. The Heat are good at many things defensively, but their weakness seems to be 3-ball. Detroit only shoots 35 percent from beyond the arc, but if they find a way to get hot, they’ll give themselves a chance to win this game.
Final Heat Pistons Prediction & Pick
The Heat will have a perfectly healthy team when Lowry returns on Sunday. Not having Bogdanovic continues to be a huge blow to Detroit. The heat should roll through the pistons in this one.
Final Heat Pistons Prediction & Pick: Heat -10 (-110) Under 218 (-110)
