Indiana Pacers vs Miami Heat Prediction
| Game Time | 7:30 pm EST |
| Indiana Pacers Line | +2 |
| Miami Heat Line | -2 |
| Total | 226 |
| TV: | NBA TV |
Below is a detailed analysis for Indiana Pacers vs Miami Heat game.
PREGAME WARM-UP:
In this all-Eastern matchup between two teams sitting on the top-8 places of the conference, the Miami Heat are hosting the Indiana Pacers. The Heat are playing their second game in two nights, after hosting the Pelicans on New Years Day. The Heat are playing their second consecutive home game, where they have been significantly better than on the road. Miami has been playing better lately, as they have just one defeat in their last four games. On the other hand, the Pacers are back on the road, where they have suffered 12 of their 20 losses this season, and have been struggling a bit lately, with just one win in their last four matches.
Indiana Pacers vs Miami Heat Prediction
Miami Heat Injury Report: Terry Rozier is day-to-day, Josh Richardson and Dru Smith are out
Indiana Pacers Injury Report: Aaron Nesmith, Isiah Jackson and James Wiseman are out.
Miami Heat Form and Trends
The Heat have a 16-14 record this season and are sitting on the 7th place of the East. Miami is 14-16 against the spread and 16-14 in over/under. The Heat have a 9-5 home record, and are 7-7 against the spread, with a +6.1-point differential. The Heat are 3-1 in their last 4 games, and 3-1 against the spread. Under is 3-1 in their last 4 games.
Miami is coming off a 104-100 win in Houston, as they held the Rockets into just 39% shooting from the field and 32% from downtown. Tyler Herro led Miami’s offense with 27 points, 6 rebounds and a game-high 9 assists.
Herro leads Miami in scoring with an average of 24.1 points, adding 5.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists. Jimmy Butler adds 19.4 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5 assists but he is questionable for today.
Indiana Pacers Recent Form and Trends
The Pacers have a 16-18 record this season and are sitting on the 8th place of the East. Indiana is 14-19-1 against the spread and 20-13-1 in over/under. The Pacers have an 8-12 road record, and are 9-11 against the spread, with a -4.3-point differential. Pacers are 1-3 in their last 4 games but are 6-3 against the spread in their last 9. Over is 4-0 in their last 4 games.
The Pacers are coming off a 112-120 loss by Milwaukee, as they shot with 44% from the field and 35% from downtown. All five Indiana starters scored double figures, led by Bennedict Mathurin with 25 points and 9 rebounds.
Pascal Siakam leads the Pacers in scoring with 19.9 points, adding 7.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists. Tyrese Halliburton adds 17.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and a team-high 8.6 assists.
Statistical Breakdown
Offensively, the Heat are averaging 111 points per game, which is 14th in the league. Miami shoots with 45.2% from the field (21st), and with 37.3% from beyond the arc (5th). Defensively, they allow 108.7 points per game, which is the 6th-best in the NBA.
Offensively, the Pacers are averaging 114.7 points per game, which is 11th in the league. They shoot 48.8% from the field, which is the fourth-best in the NBA, and 37.3% from beyond the arc (12th). Defensively, the Pacers allow 116.8 points per game, which is just 22nd in the league.
Both teams are tied 1-1 wins so far this season, with both games being played in Miami. The Heat won by 124-111 and the Pacers by 110-119, as both games went over the point total. The Pacers are 3-1 in their last 4 meetings against the Heat, and over is 6-0 in their last 6 meetings.
Prediction
In this Indiana Pacers vs Miami Heat Prediction, the Heat are coming as -2 home favorites. The Heat are rightfully favored, as they have been playing better than the Pacers lately, but they are on the second leg of a back-to-back, so this is a tough scheduling spot. I cannot make case for this Pacers team as road dogs in their current form, so I’m going to pass on the side. Both teams are above the league average in scoring this season, with 225.7 points per game combined. The Heat have the 5th-best 3-point percentage in the NBA, while the Pacers have the 4th-best field goal percentage, and both their meetings this season went over the total, so I’m expecting another high scoring affair today. Take the over the point total. Nick’s Free Pick: Over 226
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