Weโll see nine games around the Association on Martin Luther King Day, so Iโve prepared the latest odds update on DraftKings Sportsbook along with the best betting pick and tips for the Eastern Conference showdown between the Detroit Pistons and Miami Heat.
The Pistons head to American Airlines Arena in Miami without Killian Hayes (hip), but all other guys are ready to go. On the other side, the Heat continue to struggle with injuries and medical protocols, so theyโll miss Jimmy Butler, Avery Bradley, and Meyers Leonard, while Tyler Herro is listed as questionable.
Detroit and Miami will meet for the second time in just three days, and the Pistons dismantled the Heat 120-100 as 5.5-point road underdogs on Saturday.
The Pistons had their best half of the season in Miami
The Detroit Pistons (3-9; 7-5 ATS) thrashed off the Heat and snapped a two-game skid thanks to a terrific second-half performance. They scored 68 points while yielding just 44 in a return, torturing Miami on both sides of the ball for 24 minutes.
The Pistons finished with 34 assists and only 13 turnovers while forcing 23 on the other side. They allowed a paltry 30 points in the paint, limiting the Heat to five offensive rebounds and 31 in total. Jerami Grant had another good game, accounting for 24 points, nine rebounds, and six assists, while Derrick Rose added 23 points off the bench.
Grant is the Pistonsโ best player this season. Heโs averaging 24.8 points and 6.3 boards, but the Pistons desperately need more from Blake Griffin (13.8 PPG, 6.0 RPG) and Derrick Rose (14.9 PPG, 5.2 APG). Detroit is 21st in the league in points scored per 100 possessions (107.5) and 22nd in points allowed per 100 possessions (112.0).
The Heat seek revenge to stop a three-game slide
The Miami Heat (4-7; 4-7 ATS) are on a three-game losing streak following that heavy defeat to the Pistons last Saturday. They dropped a two-game set at the Philadelphia 76ers last week, while the Heat are winless in their previous two showings on the home court.
Miami has had a ton of injury problems and coronavirus-related issues so far. Erik Spoelstra has used 16 players through just 11 games, while Jimmy Butler has six appearances on his tally, averaging 15.8 points per game.
Bam Adebayo leads the way for Miami, tallying 18.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game. He had 28 points on 72.7% shooting against the Pistons on Saturday. The Heat score 107.7 points per 100 possessions (20th) and surrender 112.1 in a return (23rd).
[metabet_core_odds_compare query=”nba/heat” size=”300×250″ site_id=”atsio” css=”float:right; margin-left:10px”]Trends:
Detroit:
- 5-9-1 ATS in the last 15 road games against Southeast Division
- 3-9 ATS in the last 12 outings as underdogs of five or fewer points
Miami:
- 4-2-1 ATS in the last seven home games against Detroit
The Winner Prediction
Miami needs to regroup and pick up the pieces as soon as possible. Two straight home losses to this Detroit team are unacceptable, so despite all their injury and COVID-19 problems, I expect the Heat to win this game by five or more points.
Erik Spoelstra has to demand more from his boys, especially on the defensive end. The Pistons are far away from an elite offensive team, so Miami should have learned a few things from that 20-point defeat last time out.
Free NBA Pick: Take Miami -4.5 at -120ย ย
The Total:
The over has hit in four of the last six encounters between Detroit and Miami, but during that span, the line has been this high only once. Iโve mentioned their defensive problems, but neither of these two foes executes well offensively.
Therefore, Iโm backing the under on the totals. If they want to bounce back, the Heat will have to play much better defense, while the Pistons will certainly try to slow down things, as they average 98.9 possessions per 48 minutes (23rd).
Pick: Go under 219.5 points at -110