Southeast Division foes will collide when the Miami Heat (29-24) play the Washington Wizards (23-28) at AmericanAirlines Arena. Action begins at 7:30 pm ET on Saturday, Feb. 20 and can be seen on SUN and WA2.
The Heat are expecting a better outcome after their 119-101 loss to the Spurs in their last matchup. Dwyane Wade was the team’s leading scorer with 20 points. The Wizards, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their 99-92 loss against the Bucks in their last game. Bradley Beal led the team in scoring with 19 points.
Beal and John Wall have upped their production over the last five games for the Wizards. Beal has averaged 21.4 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 2.2 three-pointers during that stretch, while Wall has put up 25.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, 11.4 assists, 1.8 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 2.8 three-pointers.
The Wizards may not find many second-chance opportunities in this matchup. They’re ranked 29th in the league in offensive rebounding (offensive rebound percentage of 19.9%), whereas Miami is fifth-best in the NBA on the defensive glass (defensive rebound percentage of 78.4%).
The Wizards lead the season series against the Heat two games to one, including a decisive 106-87 victory in their last matchup. Marcin Gortat put up a double-double in the victory with 15 points and 12 rebounds.
The Heat come into this game 30-24 Straight Up (SU) and 27-26-1 Against The Spread (ATS). They have the same record SU and ATS against divisional opponents, going 7-4. The Heat have seen an uptick in scoring as of late, averaging 106.9 points during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 96.4 points per game. Miami’s defense has been struggling to keep points off the board during its most recent matchups. The Heat have given up an average of 107.1 points to opponents in their last 10 games, well over their defense’s season average of 96.6 PPG.
As for their opponent, the Wizards have a record of 28-24-1 ATS and 25-28 SU. Washington performed well ATS during its last 10 games, earning a 7-3 record. The Wizards average 104.7 points allowed per game, but does better whenever another team from the Southeast Division is on the schedule, bringing that points allowed average down to 97.1 against division foes.
In their previous meeting this season, Washington beat Miami, bumping its SU record over the last 10 meetings to 7-3. The teams are even ATS, with a 5-5 record.
Predictions: SU Winner – Mia
Notes
Miami ranks 29th in points per game with 96.4, while Washington ranks 24th in points allowed with an average of 104.7 given up.
On average, Miami puts up 98.7 points per home game (ranked 26th), while Washington gives up 105.0 points per away game (ranked 23rd).
In its last game, Miami lost by an 18-point margin. Washington is 2-6 in games decided by a margin of 18 points or more. Miami has a 6-6 record in blowouts.
The Washington Wizards have a winning 13-5 record when their opponents score fewer than 100 points this season. The Miami Heat are 14-19 when they score less than 100.
The Washington Wizards have a poor 10-23 record in games where they have allowed at least 100 points. The Miami Heat are 15-5 when they hit the century mark.
The Wizards have an offensive rating of 103.2 (ranked 17th), while the Heat rank sixth for their defensive rating of 101.3.
Miami has an average field goal percentage of 46.0% (ranked seventh). Washington is a losing 11-18 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Miami Heat average 18.0 three point attempts per game, while the Washington Wizards attempt 24.0 per game. When attempting 25 or more three pointers in a game, Miami is a losing 1-3, while Washington is an even 12-12.
The Miami Heat rank 19th with an assist to turnover ratio of 1.50. The Washington Wizards have a higher A/TO (1.72), ranking 10th.
Washington ranks 30th in rebounds per game with 39.8, while Miami ranks 16th with 43.1.
The Washington Wizards rank 29th in offensive rebounding, while the Miami Heat rank seventh in defensive rebounding.
Washington is one of the top teams in forced turnovers, with opponents averaging a TOV% of 16.0% (ranked third). Miami has a losing record of 6-12 SU this season when its TOV% reaches 16.0% or greater.
