Both the Charlotte Hornets and their next host the Miami Heat lost their last games without one of the key players, but neither have the luxury of trading the present for the future, joggling for the playoff spots early, and not leaving much work to be done come spring. Knocking down a direct contestant would surely help.
Hornets at Heat
Spread: Miami Heat -2 (-110) at BetDSI Sportsbook
Total: o/u 203.5 points (-110)
The Hornets continue to lose on the road
Not that the Charlotte Hornets had much of a chance in Toronto, playing without starter Kemba Walker and with Nic Batum still regaining his stamina after a long-term absence, but they have to start winning on the road if they are serious about being a part of the postseason.
The Hornets lost 113-126 to the Raptors, falling to 1-9 on the road for the season, and losing third game in a row. It appeared to be over by halftime. The Hornets defense allowed 71 first-half points to the Raptors and dug a 19-point hole, as their opponent closed down the half on an 8-0 run. It was the first of many to come. Instead of feeling sorry for themselves, the Hornets came out strong to start the third quarter and cut down the deficit to just two points with a 19-2 run, only to see it grow to double digits after Toronto responded. Similar see-saw continued for the length of the second half – the Hornets would cut into the lead but could come to tie it. Finally, the ran out of time and energy. Michael Carter-Williams started in place of Walker and was predictably terrible. He had 1-of-10 shooting and 5 turnovers, while his defensive task Lowry went off for 36 points. Howard had 22 points and 10 rebounds and subs Lamb and Kaminsky added 18 points apiece to pace the Hornets, who shot 46.8 percent from the field and had 30 points come from the charity stripe. As usual, they took solid care of the ball, but also forced very little miscues on the defensive end, and let the Raptors guard too much operating space. Defense is nowhere near what was their standard in the first few weeks. They gave up 120+ points in three of their last seven games, holding just one opponent under 100 during the same stretch.
It is undetermined if Walker will suit up Friday against the Heat – he’s been held out for some shoulder pain. The Hornets return home after this game to play their next four games there – including versus Orlando, Chicago, and Lakers and playing just once in the following five days, so they might be inclined to focus on that stretch instead pushing the issue here.
Place: American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida
Date/Time: Friday, December 1st, 2017. 8:00 PM ET
TV Coverage: FSN
Without Whiteside, the Heat blown out in New York
There’s little if any positive to take away from an 86-115 defeat to the New York Knicks. The Miami Heat went into the game with a wrong mentality, resting their anchoring center Hassan Whiteside and his troublesome knees, and other key players ended up resting more than usual as well.
The lethargic start was undisturbed even by an early injury to Knicks’ star forward Porzingis, who lasted just 3 minutes. The Heat still fell behind by 8 in the first quarter, and only swung back once the reserves started to come in. However, it was short-lasting – the Heat were down 11 after one, and by 21 at the half. Their starting backcourt shot just 6-of-22 for the game, setting the tone for the rest of the team. Miami was just 32-of-84 on field goals, 10-of-28 on three-point attempts and even the freebies wouldn’t fall (12-of-20). Bench guys Olynyk and Tyler Johnson were the bright spots, scoring 18 and 13 points respectively, having extra playing time due to the one-sided score. Defensively, the Heat were just terrible. Without Whiteside to patrol the middle, the Knicks dominated inside and scored 58 points in the paint. The Knicks took just 13 threes, mainly because the didn’t have to with all the alleys to the rim open. It helped their shooting percentage skyrocket to 60.3 for the night.
It’s just soreness with Whiteside, and considering that the Heat lost two in a row (and with contests against Golden State and San Antonio looming), I believe he’s closer to playing than not. Officially, he’s questionable for this game.
Charlotte Hornets at Miami Heat Game Trends & Prediction
The Hornets backers had a good stretch of four straight ATS wins prior to the two losses to wrap up November, but it’s still a question of where the Hornets play. They are 9-10-1 overall, but just 2-7-1 when traveling. There’s little to take away from the over/under outcomes. There were no streaks, Charlotte is 10-10 for the season, and 5-5 both home and away.
Even with three consecutive ATS defeats to close this road trip, the Heat have actually fared better on the road than at home, going 7-12-2 against the spread overall, and just 1-6-2 in Miami. The played 4 straight unders, bringing their O/U record to 8-13. They are 5-4 at home though.
Admi-Rank: Neither team has been playing more than just below the NBA average, and this doesn’t apply just to this recent stretch. The Hornets are eerily consistent at this level, and the Heat had some ups and downs, experiencing a down right now. They still hold a slight edge over their next rival.
Considering where they at in the NBA, these two teams are actually pretty deep. However, the injured players are in the positions they are hurt the most, as neither side can do well to replace Walker and Whiteside. Given the value of the two, the game might be decided exactly on whether those two players will be available. I think Miami is a bit better side with full rosters, and the fact that the Hornets are terrible on the road might weigh over to the home side, but the injuries change thing a lot here.
Despite my expectations, Whiteside will continue to sit out and will wait until his knee is totally healed, while on the other side, Kemba Walker will also miss this game due to an injured shoulder. With all being said, I will go with the Hornets to cover the spread. I will pass on the total.
My Pick: Charlotte Hornets +2 (-110)
Total: pass
