With their 24-game winning streak on the line the Miami Heat will take on the Detroit Pistons on Friday night, with LeBron James and company coming off a huge comeback win over the Cavaliers.
The Heat topped the Cavs 98-95 in Cleveland last time out, and now they'll face a Pistons team that they beat 110-88 as a 9.5-point home favorite in their last meeting on January 25. Overall Miami is 4-1 SU and 3-2 ATS in its last five vs. Detroit.
Miami battles the Pistons, currently with a 23-46 mark (30-39 ATS). The OVER/UNDER records, important for totals bettors, are 34-33 for the Heat and 34-34-1 for the Pistons. (Note: follow us on Twitter for line updates and injuries news).
View Detroit vs Miami Odds and Stats.
Betting Line:
The visitors opened this morning as 16-point underdogs in this one at most sportsbooks tracked at Odds Shark (including Sportsbook), while the total was hovering around 198.5 at Sportsbook and other shops.
Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Heat - Pistons odds would favor the Heat if the lines were set according to power ranks. Miami is rated No. 6 in our latest Odds Shark poll, while the Pistons sit at No. 23. Math models based on recent stats and predictive formulas point to a 106-94 win for the Heat.
How They Match Up:
In rebounding, the battle of the boards features Miami's No. 30-rated squad against Detroit's No. 13-rated roster. When it comes to long-range shooting, Miami rates No. 7 in the league with 8.1 per game, while their foes tonight rank No. 23 with 6.2 per outing.
Defensively, the Pistons feature the league's No. 17-rated defense on the road, giving up 101.6 points per game. Miami, meanwhile, comes in at No. 4 in the league in scoring at home.
The Pistons were a 119-82 loser in their most recent outing at home against the Nets. They failed to cover the 4.5-point spread as underdogs, while the total score (201) made Sportsbooks of OVER bettors. Detroit was crushed on Monday, getting run out of the gym by Brooklyn and falling 119-82 at The Palace of Auburn Hills.
Miami was a 98-95 Sportsbook in its last match on the road against the Cavaliers. They failed to cover the 11.5-point spread as favorites, while the total score of 193 sent UNDER bettors to the payout window. LeBron James scored 25 points and chipped in with 12 rebounds for Miami on Wednesday, leading the Heat to a 98-95 victory over Cleveland at Quicken Loans Arena.
Detroit Pistons Trends:
When playing on Friday are 5-5
Before playing Charlotte are 2-8
After playing Brooklyn are 6-4
After a loss are 1-9
Miami Heat Trends:
When playing on Friday are 8-2
Before playing Charlotte are 7-3
After playing Cleveland are 8-2
After a win are 10-0
A few Pistons at Heat trends to consider:
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Detroit's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Detroit's last 15 games when playing on the road against Miami
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 6 games on the road
Detroit is 7-17 ATS in its last 24 games when playing Miami
Miami is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Miami is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Miami is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing Detroit
Miami is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Detroit
Next up:
Detroit at Charlotte, Saturday, March 23
Miami home to Charlotte, Sunday, March 24
