Miami Heat vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Preview
Where: Quicken Loans Arena – Cleveland, Ohio
When: Friday, December 9, 2016, 8:00 PM ET
Line: Miami Heat (+13.5) at Cleveland Cavaliers (-13.5); total: 210.5 – view all NBA lines
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Betting on the Miami Heat (+13.5)
Miami’s losing woes show no sign of abating as the Heat crashed to their third consecutive defeat with a stinging 103-95 loss to the Atlanta Hawks. The Heat simply had no answer for Atlanta center Dwight Howard who scored 23 points and grabbed 17 boards. It was another disappointing result for Miami who have now lost five of their last seven games.
The Heat will look to end their losing rut when they face the Cleveland Cavaliers later tonight. For Miami to grab the much-needed victory, it needs to improve on its play on the defensive end. In their last three losses, opponents have scored an average of 105.3 points. Another thing that’s concerning head coach Erik Spoelstra at the moment is his team’s alarming away form. The Heat are just 5-7 on their travels this season.
Compounding Miami’s woes is their worsening injury situation. Josh Richardson, Justise Winslow and former Cleveland guard Dion Waiters all remain sidelined with injuries. In fact, the Heat used just eight players in the loss to Atlanta. Fortunately for Miami, Tyler Johnson stepped up big time in that ballgame. He scored a career-high 27 points against the Hawks on 8-of-16 shooting from the field. Johnson will have his work cut out for him, however, against a Cleveland defense that’s allowing just 104.5 points per game this season.
Betting on the Cleveland Cavaliers (-13.5)
The Cleveland Cavaliers stretched their unbeaten run to two games with a resounding 126-94 victory over the New York Knicks on Wednesday. LeBron James scored 25 points to lead the Cavaliers to their sixth straight win here in the Big Apple. With the victory, the Cavs improved their record to 15-5 (tops in the Eastern Conference).
Key to the Cavs’ resurgence has been their outstanding offense. The Cavs are averaging 120 points over their last two assignments. That sizzling offense was in full display Wednesday against the Knicks where four of their players scored in double-figures. Cleveland’s Big Three ran riot against the New York defense with James, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving combining for 74 huge points. Thanks to the inspired play of this trio, the Cavs are averaging a whopping 111.1 points per game this campaign. Only the Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets have a higher scoring average this season.
The Cavs will look to keep the momentum going when they take on the Miami Heat later tonight. The Cavs will fancy their chances of doing just that as they have fared extremely well against the Heat at home of late. The defending NBA champions have won each of their last three meetings with the Cavs at the Q. They are 3-0 ATS during that span.
Writer’s Prediction
Cleveland (-13) eases past Miami, 103-89.
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