Not long ago, the Indiana Pacers and the Miami Heat were the toast of the relatively weaker Eastern Conference. That has since changed, though, with a number of star players in this rivalry either injured or has left for other teams.
The Pacers are clearly struggling without Paul George and David West. The Heat, on the other hand, remains a force in the conference despite breaking up with LeBron James, as evidenced by their strong start this season. Will the Pacers upset Miami in South Beach? Or will the Heat torch their visitors?
Two days from now, Week 11 in the NFL will begin with an intriguing matchup between the Buffalo Bills and the Miami Dolphins. You can read a preview of that game here.
[sc:NBAArticles ]Indiana Pacers vs. Miami Heat Betting Preview
Where: AmericanAirlines Arena, Miami
When: Wednesday, November 12, 7:30PM ET
Line: Indiana Pacers (+8) at Miami Heat (-8); total: 189.5 – view all NBA lines
Betting on the Indiana Pacers
Roy Hibbert gave Pacers fans something to cheer about in what is quickly becoming a lost season for the team when he scored 29 points to power Indiana to a 97-86 victory Monday over the Utah Jazz. The win snapped the Pacers’ six-game skid and gave them some measure of momentum heading into their next game against Miami.
[sc:NBA240banner ]The Pacers continue to suffer from a lack of playmakers and go-to guys, especially in the wings, which is something one would expect with the absence of Paul George and the departure of Lance Stephenson. This puts an enormous pressure on the Pacers’ frontline to deliver every night as guards Donald Sloan and A.J. Price can only do so much with Chris Copeland and Solomon Hill, who try as they might, can’t possibly be mistaken for George or Stephenson. Indiana is last in the league in dimes with only 18.4 APG and 26th in scoring with 93.0 PPG.
But what the Pacers lack in playmaking, they make up for being aggressive on the boards. Against Utah, Hibbert, Luis Scola, and Lavoy Allen dominated the glass, collecting 28 of the Pacers’ 44 rebounds. The Pacers also scored 20 second chance points in that game to improve their league-leading average to 18 points per game off offensive rebounds. The Pacers are third in the league in rebounding with 47.3 RPG. Hibbert and Allen are Indiana’s top rebounders with 7.9 RPG each, while Scola plucks down 7.6 a game.
The Pacers are 3-0 ATS in their last three road games.
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Betting on the Miami Heat
Go ahead and argue that Miami is a better team without LeBron James. Wrong or not, the Heat sure are playing as if they’re out to prove that it’s true. The Heat are 5-2 to start the season and are coming off a stirring 105-96 win over the Dallas Mavericks last Sunday. It was the sixth time in seven games this season that the Heat have scored over 100 points.
Big Three remnants Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade are leading the team with 23.6 PPG and 19.7 PPG, respectively. Offseason acquisition Luol Deng, meanwhile, has so far been a serviceable replacement for James, as the former Chicago Bull is averaging 15.6 PPG. Deng is coming off his best game in Heat uniform, scoring 30 points and adding five rebounds and four assists in the game against Dallas. The Heat are 12th in the NBA with 102.1 PPG.
What Miami needs to address, though, is their rebounding, especially against the Pacers. The Heat are third worst in the NBA with just 38.6 RPG. Bosh is the only player among the Heat who grabs more than five rebounds a game with an average of 10.5 RPG.
Although the Heat can generate a ton of points, they’re going to have a hard time finding their offensive rhythm against Indiana if they can’t keep the Pacers’ big men from dominating the rebounding battle. One way to do that is for Bosh to pull away Hibbert from the shaded area by extending his shooting range like he normally does. Bosh is making 1.3 triples per game on 3.6 attempts.
The Heat are 3-1 ATS in their last four home games.
Writer’s Prediction
Indiana wins, 97-94.
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