Miami Heat at Brooklyn Nets
Time: 8 PM ET, Nov 1, 2013
TV: ESPN
Spread: MIA -3.5
M/L: MIA -155; BRK +135
O/U: 194
Odds courtesy of 5dimes
The Miami Heat are coming off a disappointing loss in Philadelphia on Allen Iverson Appreciation Night Part Two. Though the Heat fell 114-110, the team is still favored against a tough and deep Brooklyn Nets team according to NBA oddsmakers at 5dimes, who set the line 3.5 points in favor of LeBron James and the Heat.
Miami has been woefully bad on the boards. This has been a recurrent problem for the Heat, and even though Brooklyn’s Brook Lopez is a soft rebounder, the Heat need to come out aggressively seeking to get an edge on the glass. It’s tough to consistently win when teams are getting a plethora of second-chance shots, and that has to be a focal point for Erik Spoelstra’s squad going forth. Chris Bosh is woefully soft for a center, but Chris Andersen did a nice enough job last year to earn another contract and the 6’10” wing nut is a good defender and high energy player.
Brooklyn’s depth is what has many thinking the Nets could be dark horse contenders after the likes of Chicago, Indy and Miami. The Nets lost their season opener in Cleveland but will look to defend the Barclays Center. Brook Lopez led the way with 21 in the loss and Paul Pierce had an ultra-efficient 5-of-8 FG, 3-of-4 threes, 4-of-4 free throws line, to finish with 17. The Nets got good production off the bench from Jason Terry and Alan Anderson, and both are dead eye shooters that are capable of filling it up.
Key Matchup:
LeBron James vs. Paul Pierce
Paul Pierce is woefully under qualified to cover LeBron James, and it has to be wondered if Pierce might not land on Shane Battier to leave Kevin Garnett to defend LBJ. Either way, James is in for a big night because Brooklyn just doesn’t have any great wing defenders, with Joe Johnson being undersized and too weak to cover James. It’s not as though a lot of teams have someone great to sick on James, like Paul George Or Kawhi Leonard, but Brooklyn really doesn’t have anyone. Expect James to have a triple double tonight.
MIA betting Trends:
OVER 4-0 in last 4 road; 7-1 ATS in last 8 vs teams with winning pct below .400; 1-6 ATS in last 7 after scoring 100 points or more in previous game
BRO Betting Trends:
OVER 8-0 in last 8 when opponent scores 100 or more in previous outing; 5-0 ATS in last 5 following an ATS loss; OVER 9-1 in last 10 following SU loss
Head-to-head: Heat 6-1 ATS in last 7 meetings; Heat 5-1 ATS in last 6 in Brooklyn; UNDER 4-1 in last 5 meetings.
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