LeBron James and the Miami Heat will be looking for their seventh win in their past eight games against the Cleveland Cavaliers when those teams hit the hardwood on Saturday night in South Beach.
The Heat are 6-1 SU and 4-3 ATS against LeBron's old team since December 2010, with the UNDER paying off for totals bettors on the NBA odds at the sportsbooks in each of their last four meetings.
(Note: follow us on Twitter for line updates and injuries news). The Heat are 9-3 so far on the season, and 6-6 ATS vs. the number. The Cavaliers, meanwhile, are 3-9 and 6-6 ATS. OVER/UNDER bettors have seen Miami go 6-6 and the Cavaliers go 7-5 on the totals.
View Cleveland vs Miami Odds and Stats.
Betting Line:
For bettors going with the Heat in this one, they were listed earlier as 14.5-point favorites on the betting line at Sportsbook. Totals bettors have seen that number set at 195 for Monday at shops such as Sportsbook.
Power Rankings / Prediction:
This game pits the Heat, currently No. 4 in the Odds Shark NBA Power Rankings, against the Cavaliers, who rate No. 25 in the most recent survey. Meanwhile, math and computer handicapping models run on this game predict a 105-95 victory for the Heat.
How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Miami's No. 1-ranked offense (104.3 PPG) against a Cavaliers defense that ranks No. 28 at 101.5 PPG. The Heat have averaged 49.2% from the field per game, more than the Cavaliers have managed so far this season (42.2% on average).
In comparing how the teams stack up statistically, the Cavaliers own the league's No. 25-rated mark, allowing 104.1 points per game when playing on the road. Miami, on the other hand, rates No. 1 in scoring on their home court.
Cleveland was a 108-104 loser in its last match on the road against the Magic. They covered the 4.5-point spread as underdogs, while the total score of 212 sent OVER bettors to the payout window. Cleveland got 25 points from Dion Waiters en route to a 108-104 loss against Orlando on Friday at Amway Center.
The Heat were a 113-106 Sportsbook in their most recent outing at home against the Bucks. They failed to cover the 9.5-point spread as favorites, while the total score (219) made Sportsbooks of OVER bettors. Dwyane Wade scored 28 points for Miami on Wednesday, leading the Heat to a 113-106 victory over Milwaukee at AmericanAirlines Arena.
Cleveland Cavaliers Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 6-4
Before playing Memphis are 7-3
After playing Orlando are 3-7
After a loss are 2-8
Miami Heat Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 5-5
Before playing San Antonio are 4-6
After playing Milwaukee are 8-2
After a win are 7-3
A few Cavaliers at Heat trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cleveland's last 5 games when playing Miami
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Cleveland's last 8 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Cleveland's last 9 games when playing on the road against Miami
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cleveland's last 6 games
Miami is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Miami is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Cleveland
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Miami's last 7 games at home
Miami is 13-3 SU in its last 16 games
Next up:
Cleveland at Memphis, Monday, November 26
Miami home to San Antonio, Thursday, November 29
