LeBron James and the Miami Heat will get their chance to finally knock out the Indiana Pacers on Saturday night as the teams meet in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Heat took a 3-2 lead in the series on Thursday night with a 90-79 victory as a 7.5-point home favorite on the NBA betting lines at the sportsbooks. James led the way for Miami in that Game 5 victory with a team-high 30 points on the night.
The Pacers sit at 49-32 (42-39 ATS) on the season; in comparison, the Heat are currently 66-16 (46-36 ATS). Looking to wager on the totals? Indiana is 39-42 OU, and Miami is 43-39 OU. (Note: follow us on Twitter for line updates and injuries news).
View Miami vs Indiana Odds and Stats.
Betting Line:
The visitors opened this morning as 3-point favorites in this one at most sportsbooks tracked at Odds Shark (including Sportsbook), while the total was hovering around 183.5 at Sportsbook and other shops.
Power Rankings / Prediction:
This game pits the Pacers, currently No. 2 in the Odds Shark NBA Power Rankings, against the Heat, who rate No. 6 in the most recent survey. Meanwhile, math and computer handicapping models run on this game predict a 104-100 victory for the Heat.
How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Indiana's No. 23-ranked offense (94.7 PPG) against a Heat defense that ranks No. 5 at 95 PPG. The Pacers have averaged 43.6% from the field per game, less than the Heat have managed so far this season (49.6% on average).
Defensively, the Heat feature the league's No. 3-rated defense on the road, giving up 94.4 points per game. Indiana, meanwhile, comes in at No. 18 in the league in scoring at home.
Indiana was a 90-79 loser in its last match on the road against the Heat. They failed to cover the 7.5-point spread as underdogs, while the total score of 169 sent UNDER bettors to the payout window. Paul George scored 27 points and added 11 rebounds for a double-double, but his team still lost 90-79 against Miami in NBA action at AmericanAirlines Arena.
Miami Heat Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 6-4
Before playing Indiana are 8-2
After playing Indiana are 7-3
After a win are 7-3
Indiana Pacers Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 8-2
Before playing Miami are 6-4
After playing Miami are 5-5
After a loss are 7-3
A few Heat at Pacers trends to consider:
Miami is 23-2 SU in its last 25 games on the road
Miami is 19-3 SU in its last 22 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Miami's last 7 games when playing Indiana
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Miami's last 6 games
Indiana is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Indiana's last 7 games when playing Miami
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Indiana's last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Indiana's last 6 games when playing at home against Miami
Next up:
Miami home to Indiana, Monday, June 3
Indiana at Miami, Monday, June 3
