The Indiana Pacers will travel to AmericanAirlines Arena to take on the Miami Heat. The game gets underway at 7:30 pm ET on Monday, Feb. 22 and will air on FxI and SUN.
The Heat lost big to the Spurs 119-101 the last time they played. Dwyane Wade was the team’s high scorer, contributing 20 points. The Pacers, meanwhile, are coming off an ugly 117-95 loss to the Hornets in their last outing. Paul George had a team-high 22 points.
It will be a tale of two tempos, as the fast-breaking Pacers (ranked fifth in the league in possessions per game) take on the slow-paced Heat (29th).
The Pacers have won two out of three against the Heat this season, but dropped their most recent game, a close 103-100 loss. Chris Bosh put up 31 points and 11 rebounds.
The Heat enter the game with records of 31-24 Straight Up (SU) and 28-26-1 Against The Spread (ATS). They have a record of 31-24 SU and 28-26-1 ATS versus the Eastern Conference. Over their past 10 games, Miami’s offense has been playing lights out, averaging 103.8 points per game, well over their season average of 96.7.
On the other side, the Pacers head into the game with records of 29-26 ATS and 30-25 SU. Indiana has done particularly well ATS over its past 10 matchups, going 7-3. Indiana’s three-point defense is one of the top in the league, with opponents shooting only .330 from the three. Indiana makes opponents pay for turning the ball over, ranking second in points off turnovers with an average of 20.0 per game.
The Heat’s win over Indiana in their last game couldn’t give them the edge in the head-to-head record over the past 10 meetings, where the Pacers still lead 6-4 SU. The Pacers also hold the advantage ATS with a record of 7-3.
Predictions: SU Winner – Mia
Notes
Indiana puts up 102.6 points per game (ranked 12th), but Miami typically allows only 96.6 points per game (ranked second).
Indiana puts up 102.2 points per away game, ranking ninth in the league. Miami allows just 96.1 points per home game (ranked third).
Miami has a winning 24-10 record when it gives up under 100 points this season. Indiana is 10-12 when it scores under 100.
At 5-14, the Miami Heat have a losing record when their opponents score at least 100 points. The Indiana Pacers are 18-13 when they put up triple digits.
The Heat have an offensive rating of 102.3 (ranked 23rd). The Pacers rank fourth for their defensive rating of 100.2.
Indiana beats Miami in both possessions per game and points per possession. The Pacers average 100.1 possessions and 1.025 points per possession, while the Heat average 93.9 possessions with 1.023 points per possession.
Miami has an average effective field goal percentage of 49.9%. Indiana is an abysmal 3-17 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
Miami makes an average of 20.1 assists per game (ranked 26th). Indiana ranks higher in assists with 20.3 (ranked 25th).
Miami makes an average of 6.5 blocks per game (ranked second), while Indiana makes 4.6 blocks per game (ranked 17th).
Miami is ranked 27th when it comes to offensive rebounding. Indiana ranks 14th in defensive rebounds.
Indiana averages 9.3 steals per game, ranking fourth in the league. Miami is a poor 6-12 when it allows at least 9 steals.
