It will be a battle between Southeast Division opponents when the Charlotte Hornets (10-17) welcome the Miami Heat (13-14) to Spectrum Center. The game will air on Fox Sports Sun at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, December 15, 2017.
Charlotte opened as a 5.5-point favorite, while the game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 204.5 points.
Miami Heat vs. Charlotte Hornets ATS Prediction
The Heat are trying to rebound after their 102-95 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers in their last outing. Making free throws was one of Portland’s largest strengths. They were 20-23 (87.0 percent), while the Heat were just 14-23 (60.9 percent). Wayne Ellington was Miami’s leading scorer with 24 points on 8-for-11 shooting.
In the Hornets’ last matchup, they were beaten by the Houston Rockets, 108-96. Houston’s effective field goal percentage was their biggest advantage over Charlotte. The Rockets had a rate of 0.540 (below their season average of 0.566), while the Hornets posted a mark of 0.437 (below their season average of 0.492). Dwight Howard put together a solid game for Charlotte, leading the team in scoring with 26 points on 9-for-20 shooting.
The physical Charlotte offense looks poised to dominate from the charity stripe. The Hornets rank first in the league with a free throw attempt (FTA) rate of 0.237, while Miami ranks 26th in FTA rate allowed (0.222). Furthermore, the Heat rank 29th in offensive rebounding percentage (18.7 percent), while the Hornets rank second in defensive rebounding percentage (81.4 percent).
Miami holds records of 13-14 straight up (SU) and 10-15-2 against the spread (ATS). Games featuring the Heat tend to go under the total (59.3 percent).
Meanwhile, Charlotte owns records of 10-17 SU and 11-14-2 ATS. A little over half of Hornets games have also finished under the projected point total.
Howard has averaged 19.0 points, 11.0 rebounds and 2.2 blocks over the last five games for Charlotte.
This will be the second game of the season between these two teams. In the first, Josh Richardson scored a game-high 27 points and the Heat defeated the Hornets 105-100, covering as 2-point favorites. The game finished with a total of 205 points, hitting the projected point total. Miami was lights out from beyond the arc (14-35; 40.0 percent). Charlotte, on the other hand, did a fantastic job of converting from the free throw line (19-21; 90.5 percent).
Miami Heat vs. Charlotte Hornets ATS Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Hornets, ATS Winner – Heat, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
Miami is 8-7 ATS on the road with 10 unders, 4 overs and 1 push.
Charlotte is 8-6 ATS at home with 8 unders and 6 overs.
In games where they hold opponents below 100 points, Miami is 9-3 and Charlotte is 5-1.
In games where they reach the century mark, the Hornets are 10-7 and the Heat are 10-5.
Miami ranks first in three pointers allowed per game (24.7) while Charlotte ranks 25th (31.5).
The Hornets rank second in rebounds per game (47.1) while the Heat rank 25th (41.1).
Charlotte ranks first in points off turnovers allowed per game (14.3) while Miami ranks 20th (17.7).
The Hornets rank fourth in steals allowed per game (6.9) while the Heat rank 22nd (8.2).
Charlotte ranks 11th in second chance points per game (12.8) while Miami ranks 29th (9.3).
The Heat rank third in assists allowed per game (19.9) while the Hornets rank 17th (22.8).
Charlotte ranks 14th in points in the paint per game (43.6) while Miami ranks 25th (40.3).
The Hornets rank 18th in fast break points per game (9.7) while the Heat rank 27th (7.4).
Miami averages 4.9 blocks per game, which ranks 12th in the NBA. Charlotte ranks 17th in blocks allowed per game (4.9).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Miami is 2-3 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over.
Charlotte is 1-3-1 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs over their last five games.
The Heat’s average margin of defeat in their last five games has been 2.0, down from 2.4 for the season.
During their last five games, the Hornets have scored an average of 101.8 points per game (2.9 below their season average) and allowed an average of 108.2 points per game (1.5 above their season average).
