Pro Basketball Odds and Picks: Miami Heat vs. Sacramento Kings

Miami Heat at Sacramento Kings
Saturday, 1/12/13, 10:00 PM EST, TV: SUN
Opening Point Spread: Miami -8
Current Betting Line: Miami -7
Opening Total: 203
Current Total: 201.5
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker

The Sacramento Kings have lost seven consecutive games to the Miami Heat

Miami has dropped back-to-back games, including a 92-90 setback to the Portland Trail Blazers as 3.5-point road favorites Thursday night, while going UNDER the total for a fourth-straight contest. The Heat are averaging 101.8 points per game on the season, but have failed to reach the century mark in six of their last eight affairs. Forward LeBron James is still leading the offense, averaging 26.0 points and 6.9 assists per game, while Dwyane Wade is the second option on that side of the floor. Miami is 4-6 ATS off an upset loss as a favorite this year, which is important to consider when making your NBA picks against the spread Saturday.

The Heat are 7-8 on the road this season, including a 4-3 mark versus Western Conference foes. Miami will need to get some points from its reserves in this affair, as the squad is 9-1 when its bench outscores its opponents’ second unit. It’s important to point out that the team’s 31 all-time wins over Sacramento is its second-most against any out-of-conference foe.

Sacramento is mired in a three-game losing streak, as it dropped a painful 117-112 decision in overtime as 2.5-point home favorites to the Dallas Mavericks, while going OVER the total for the fourth consecutive contest. The Kings are led by forward DeMarcus Cousins, who is averaging team highs of 17.6 points and 10.2 rebounds, but he also continues to make mental mistakes on the floor. He has been limited to 23 points and 20 rebounds in three games in this particular series. Sacramento is 8-10 ATS at home this season, with the OVER going 13-6 in that situation.

The Kings are 10-9 overall at Sleep Train Arena, including a 5-3 mark versus Eastern Conference opponents. Sacramento has lost seven-straight games in this series, allowing Miami to average 113.3 points and shoot 52.8 percent from the field during that stretch. Defensively, the team has allowed 114.3 points per game in its last three contests, which is important to consider when looking over the pro basketball odds page.