NBA Picks: Miami Heat vs. Indiana Pacers

Miami Heat vs. Indiana Pacers
Tuesday, 12/10/13, 7:00 PM EST, TV: NBATV
Opening Point Spread: Indiana -3.5
Current Betting Line: Indiana -3
Opening Total: 189
Current Total: 189
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker

The Indiana Pacers are 9-0 SU at home this season

Miami will close out a four-game road trip Tuesday night, as it comes off a pair of victories, including a 110-95 blowout win over the Detroit Pistons as 3.5-point road favorites Sunday. The Heat are 7-3 SU on the road during the 2013-14 campaign, including a 6-3 mark versus Eastern Conference opponents, which is important to consider when making your NBA betting picks. Offensively, forward Lebron James is the player to watch, as he’s averaging a team-high 25.4 points per game. Miami is 2-4 SUATS as road underdogs of three or fewer points the last two-plus seasons.

The Heat are averaging 103.5 points per game, while giving up 95.9 a contest, which can’t be ignored when looking over the pro basketball odds page. Miami has won all 15 games this season when holding opponents under 100 points, while it has captured 46 of its last 47 contests when hitting 10-or-more shots from beyond the arc. James has currently scored in double-figures in 516 consecutive games.

Indiana returns home after posting a 3-2 record on its five-game road trip, which ended with a 118-94 defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder Sunday, while going OVER the betting total for the fourth time in five affairs. Pacers forward Paul George is enjoying a tremendous season, as he comes in averaging 25.1 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. The franchise is a perfect 9-0 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, while it has gone 37-9 overall against Miami at this venue. Indiana is 3-6 SUATS as home favorites of three or fewer points since the 2011-12 season.

The Pacers are currently ninth in the league in averaging 44.2 rebounds per game, while their 138 blocked shots sit behind only the Houston Rockets in that defensive category. Indiana is first in the NBA in defensive field goal percentage—holding foes to 40.8 percent shooting. The squad is also allowing the fewest fast-break points in the league at 9.7 points per game in transition.