The Charlotte Hornets visit AmericanAirlines Arena to take on the Miami Heat in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. Action begins at 5:30 pm ET on Sunday, Apr. 17 and can be seen on TNT and SUN.
The Heat are expecting a better outcome after their 98-88 loss to the Celtics on Wednesday. Hassan Whiteside had a good outing for Miami, putting up 19 points, nine rebounds, and four blocks. The Hornets, meanwhile, are coming off a 117-103 win over the Magic on Wednesday. Al Jefferson led the game in scoring by recording 26 points on 11-for-15 shooting.
The Heat are looking to build on their records of 48-34 Straight Up (SU) and 43-38-1 Against The Spread (ATS). They have a record of 8-8 SU and 7-8-1 ATS when playing their division. The Heat are the top team in the league at blocking shots, averaging 6.5 blocks per game.
On the other side, Charlotte has a SU record of 48-34 and an ATS record of 42-39-1. Charlotte has records of 10-6 SU and ATS against the Southeast. The Hornets are shooting lights out from the foul line so far, with a .790 free throw percentage that ranks fifth in the NBA. The Hornets rarely make costly errors handling the ball. They have the fourth-best assist-to-turnover ratio in the league at 1.83.
The Hornets’ win over Miami in their last clash wasn’t enough for them to overtake the Heat in the most recent head-to-head series. Their record is now 4-6 SU over the last 10 meetings. Additionally, the Heat hold the advantage ATS with a record of 5-4-1.
Predictions: SU Winner – Mia
Notes
Miami scores an average of 100.0 points per game (ranked 23rd), while Charlotte gives up 100.7 points per game (ranked ninth).
On average, Miami puts up 103.2 points per home game (ranked 19th), while Charlotte allows 102.3 points per away game (ranked 10th).
When allowing fewer than 100 points, the Heat are 37-11 on the season. When the Hornets score fewer than 100, they are an underachieving 8-26.
When allowing 100 or more points in a game, the Heat are just 11-23 this season. Charlotte is a fantastic 40-8 when it hits the century mark.
The Heat have an offensive rating of 105.1 (ranked 11th). The Hornets rank seventh for their defensive rating of 102.2.
Charlotte beats Miami in both possessions per game and points per possession. The Hornets average 97.7 possessions and 1.058 points per possession, while the Heat average 95.2 possessions with 1.051 points per possession.
The Charlotte Hornets average an effective field goal percentage of 50.2% this season. The Miami Heat have a losing record of 13-21 when opponents have an EFF% of 50.2% or greater.
On average, Miami attempts 18.0 three pointers and Charlotte attempts 29.0 per game. In games where the teams have 25 or more three point attempts, the Heat have a 1-4 record while the Hornets have a solid 45-28 record.
The Miami Heat rank 19th with an assist to turnover ratio of 1.58. The Charlotte Hornets have a higher A/TO (1.83), ranking fourth.
The Miami Heat rebound 44.1 times per game and are ranked 13th. Ranked 14th, the Charlotte Hornets rebound 43.9 times per game.
Miami is ranked sixth in defensive rebounds, while Charlotte ranks 28th in offensive rebounds.
Miami averages a forced turnover rate of 12.9% this season. Charlotte has a 20-14 record when they suffer a turnover rate equal to or exceeding this.
