The Miami Heat (2-1, 0-1 away) battle the Brooklyn Nets (2-2, 1-1 home) in midweek NBA action on Wednesday night. Both teams are looking to build off victories in their last outings, with the Heat dropping Orlando and the Nets defeating Washington.
The tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. EST inside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. According to oddsmakers, the Nets are a 4.5-point favorite, and the over-under total is at 218 points.
What to Know – Miami Heat
Miami has won two of their first three games, including a pair of dominating victories over Milwaukee and the Magic. The Heat’s only loss came on the road against the Pacers, losing in overtime to Indiana. Miami finished 40-32 in the shortened 2020-21 season, losing in the First Round of the playoffs to the Bucks.
Jimmy Butler leads the Heat offense that is averaging 111.7 points per game in the early going. Butler is scoring 25.3 points per game behind 52.8% shooting from the field. Tyler Herro is second on the team scoring 23.3 points per game off the bench.
Bam Adebayo is pulling down 14 rebounds and scoring 17.7 points per game. Adebayo has grabbed at least 13 rebounds in the first three games and is shooting 51.4% from the floor. The only other Heat player scoring in double figures is Duncan Robinson, averaging 10.7 points per game.
Miami is 2-4 against the spread this season and 2-4 ATS over their last six games. The total has gone over in 14 of the previous 20 Heat contests.
What to Know – Brooklyn Nets
Brooklyn is off to a 2-2 start even without star player Kyrie Irving. Without Irving running the offense, the Nets have struggled to find consistency through the season’s first week. The Nets were 48-24 to close out the 2020-21 year, finishing second in the division, and losing to Milwaukee in Conference Semifinals.
Kevin Durant is lighting up the stat sheet with Iriving’s absence. The star forward is pacing the offense, scoring 31.0 points per game, nearly a third of Brooklyn’s 104.3 points per game average. Durant is shooting a blistering 55.8% from the field and adding 9.8 rebounds per game.
James Harden is second on the team, pouring in 17.3 points per game. Backup guard Patty Mills has come off the bench to spark the offense by averaging 14.5 points and has turned the ball over just twice over 114 minutes of action.
Brooklyn has owned the spread, going 14-6 ATS in their last 20 matchups. In the previous six games for the Nets, the under has hit five times.
The Pick is In
Wednesday’s contest could be a precursory for a future playoff series at the end of the season. The offense has flowed through the Durant through the first four games, and if he has an off-night, it’ll be a problem for Brooklyn’s offense.
In Miami’s only road game this season, the Heat mustered up just 91 points offensively in an overtime loss. Expect another low-scoring battle between these two playoff contenders.
Betting Pick: Heat/Nets UNDER 218
