Miami Heat at Oklahoma City Thunder
Thursday, 2/14/13, 8:00 PM EST, TV:  TNT
Opening Point Spread:  Oklahoma City -4.5
Current Betting Line:  Oklahoma City -5
Opening Total:  206
Current Total:  204.5
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker

Miami has won six games in a row, including a 117-104 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers as 11-point home favorites Tuesday night, while going OVER the total for a fourth consecutive contest.  The Heat will face a major test in this affair, especially since they captured the first meeting on Christmas Day.  “We’ve got to play with high intensity,” stated Heat forward LeBron James.  “Especially being in their gym.”  He has scored 30-plus points in six-straight games, which is a new franchise record.  Miami is 2-0 SUATS as underdogs this season, with both games going UNDER the posted total.

The Heat are 12-11 overall away from AmericanAirlines Arena, including a 7-4 mark versus Western Conference opponents, which can’t be ignored when looking over the NBA betting lines Thursday night.  Miami is averaging 103.1 points per game on the season, while surrendering 96.7.  A key to the team’s success is creating turnovers and scoring on the other end, as it has averaged 22.2 points in that situation over the last 15 games.

Oklahoma City had its four-game win streak snapped in a 109-94 defeat to the Utah Jazz as 5.5-point road favorites Tuesday night, as the roster was clearly looking ahead to this NBA Finals rematch of a year ago.  The Thunder are 23-3 overall at Chesapeake Energy Arena, including a 6-2 mark versus Eastern Conference foes.  The team has won seven consecutive home games, while it has compiled an 11-1 record in games following a loss this season.  Oklahoma City is 13-7 ATS as home favorites of 3.5 to 6 points the last two-plus seasons.

The Thunder are second in the NBA in averaging 106.2 points per game on 48.2 percent shooting, while they’ve managed to limit foes to 43 percent from the field during the 2012-13 regular season.  Through 52 games, Oklahoma City is currently the second best 3-point shooting team in basketball, with Kevin Martin and Kevin Durant ranking eighth and 11th respectively in shooting percentage in that category.

Sports bettors will likely back the Heat due to their 5-0 ATS mark in the last five meetings in this series, while the Thunder are 2-7 ATS versus Southwest Division opponents.

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