The Miami Heat visit the Washington Wizards on Monday night at Capital One Arena. Tipoff is set for 7:00 PM ET. Miami is 33-41 and trying to hold on to the 10th spot in the East. Washington is last in the conference at 16-58.
This will be the third meeting between the teams this season. Miami won both earlier games, including a 106-90 win on March 3. The Heat have won four straight games. The Wizards have lost seven of their last eight.
WAS Preview – Young Players Getting Time Late in the Season
The Wizards are near the bottom of the league in most areas. They give up 120.9 points per game, the most in the NBA. Washington also ranks last in total rebounds (42.9 per game) and offensive rebounds (9.4 per game).
Washington is focused on development. AJ Johnson scored a career-high 20 points against Brooklyn. Colby Jones has played well lately with another 20-point performance last game. Alex Sarr, the No. 2 pick in 2024, has scored in double digits in 9 of his last 10 games and blocked three shots last game.
Jordan Poole has 221 made three-pointers this season, just two behind Bradley Beal’s franchise record of 223. Washington has gone 9-28 on the road and 7-29 at home. The Wizards have failed to cover the spread in 48 of their 79 games this season.
MIA Preview – Heat Chasing the Play-In
Miami has bounced back after a 10-game losing streak. The team has now won four straight and is holding on to the final Play-In spot. The Heat are 18-19 at home and 14-22 on the road heading into this matchup.
Tyler Herro has scored 115 points over his last four games. He has shot 56% from the field during that stretch and continues to be the team’s top scoring option. Bam Adebayo is averaging 19.7 points and 10.4 rebounds over his last 10 games and anchors the defense.
Kel’el Ware had 14 rebounds and shot 6-for-6 from the field in the last game. Alec Burks added 20 points and has helped fill in with Duncan Robinson and Kevin Love both out. Miami is top 10 in free throw shooting (79.2%) and ranks top half in three-point percentage (36.6%).
Betting Prediction
Miami is an 8.5-point favorite and the total is set at 221.5. The Heat won the previous matchup by 16 and have covered both games against the Wizards this season. Miami has covered the first-quarter spread in 18 of their last 22 road games. They’ve also hit the first-half spread in 27 of their last 40 games overall.
Washington is just 30-43-1 against the spread this season. They’ve also allowed 120+ points in 8 of their last 10 games. The Heat are trending in the right direction and still playing with urgency. The predicted final score is Miami 112, Washington 98. Miami should win and cover the number.
Pick: Heat -8.5
