Indiana Pacers vs. Miami Heat Predictions, Picks and NBA Preview – February 22, 2016

For the fourth and last time this regular season, the Indiana Pacers and the Miami Heat are going to square off against each other. The Pacers have won the first two meetings, while the Heat outlasted Indiana in overtime in the third showdown.

Will the Pacers prevent Miami from winning three-straight games? Or will the Heat force a split in their regular season series with Indiana?

Read on for more about this matchup. You can also check out our preview of the Pistons vs. Cavaliers game.

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Indiana Pacers vs. Miami Heat Preview

Where: AmericanAirlines Arena, Miami

When: Monday, February 22, 7:30 PM ET

Line: Indiana Pacers at Miami Heat– view all NBA lines

TV Broadcast: ESPN

Betting on the Indiana Pacers (30-25)

Indiana is hoping it can earn a win before heading back to Bankers Life Fieldhouse for a three-game home stand. That opportunity comes later tonight against Miami.

While the Pacers lost to Miami 103-100 in overtime in the last meeting between these two teams on January 4, they nevertheless are 6-4 SU and 7-3 ATS in their past 10 matchups with the Heat. That includes the two wins Indiana has over the Heat thus far this season.

Like in so many of Indiana’s games, Paul George has been the Pacers’ best player when they’re up against Miami. The Fresno State product has averaged 30.3 points and 9.0 rebounds in the three previous matchups with the Heat. He was close to unstoppable in the January loss to Miami, when he dropped 32 points on 12-for-29 shooting. He did get significant help from Monta Ellis and Ian Mahinmi, though, with the two mustering 30 points combined.

With Miami’s Chris Bosh sidelined, the Pacers should be able to take advantage of the Heat’s slimmer frontline. Look for the Pacers to challenge Hassan Whiteside by utilizing their revolving door of bigs in Mahinmi, Jordan Hill, and Myles Turner inside.

Speaking of Turner, the former Longhorn has blossomed a lot since the last game against the Heat. Turner is averaging close to a double-double this February.

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Betting on the Miami Heat (31-24)

Call them the win-seeking Heat. Despite Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade’s absences, Miami is finding ways to win, as the Heat have now won back to back games following the All-Star break.

More surprisingly, the Heat are scoring well sans the two All-Stars. The Heat are just 28th in the league in scoring with 96.7 points per game this season, but have posted 229 points over their last two outings, including a 114-94 win against Washington on Saturday.

With Luol Deng putting up numbers he used to post during his Chicago Bulls days of late, Goran Dragic running the offense well, and Hassan Whiteside coming back strong from a one-game suspension, the Heat will clearly be no pushovers later tonight against Indiana. They are very capable of filling in the voids left by Bosh and Wade, who combined for 58 points the last time the Heat met Indiana back in January 4.

Deng has two double-doubles to start the second half of the season, even leading the Heat with 27 points and 10 rebounds in the Washington game. Dragic scored 24 points in that game to go along with eight assists and seven boards. Whiteside, on the other hand, was on another level, as he posted 25 points and 23 rebounds.

Miami, which scored 52 points inside the paint in the last meeting with Indiana, is 9-1 SU and 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games in South Beach against Indiana.

Writer’s Prediction

Indiana wins, 103-99.