LeBron James and the Miami Heat will try to pay out against Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder yet again on Thursday night as those powerhouses meet in NBA betting action at the books.
Miami picked up a 103-97 win over Oklahoma City as a favorite of 2.5 points at home on the NBA odds back on December 25, running their record to 5-0 both SU and ATS in their past five games against the Thunder. The UNDER paid out in that Christmas contest.
The Thunder sit at 39-13 (30-19-3 ATS) on the season; in comparison, the Heat are currently 35-14 (25-24 ATS). Looking to wager on the totals? Oklahoma City is 26-24-2 OU, and Miami is 25-24 OU. (Note: follow us on Twitter for line updates and injuries news).
View Miami vs Oklahoma City Odds and Stats.
Betting Line:
Bettors looking to side with the Thunder in this one found them as 4.5-point favorites earlier at Sportsbook, while the total had been sitting in the area of 205 at Sportsbook.
Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Thunder - Heat odds would favor the Thunder if the lines were set according to power ranks. Oklahoma City is rated No. 1 in our latest Odds Shark poll, while the Heat sit at No. 12. Math models based on recent stats and predictive formulas point to a 110-107 win for the Thunder.
How They Match Up:
The game also pits Oklahoma City's No. 1-ranked offense, averaging 106.2 PPG, against a Heat defense that ranks No. 12 at 96.7 PPG. The Thunder field goal percentage has averaged 48.2% so far, less than the Heat shooters have achieved on the year, 49.4% per game.
Defensively, the Heat feature the league's No. 9-rated defense on the road, giving up 96.9 points per game. Oklahoma City, meanwhile, comes in at No. 3 in the league in scoring at home.
Last time out for Miami, they were a 117-104 Sportsbook as they battled the Trail Blazers at home. The Heat covered in the match as a 11-point favorite, while 221 combined points moved the game OVER for totals bettors. Miami got 32 points from Chris Bosh en route to a 117-104 victory over Portland on Tuesday at AmericanAirlines Arena.
Oklahoma City lost its last outing, a 109-94 result against the Jazz on February 12. The Thunder failed to cover in that game as a 6-point favorite, while the 203 combined points took the game OVER the total. The Thunder got a terrific 33-point performance from Kevin Durant but Utah handed them a 109-94 defeat on Tuesday at EnergySolutions Arena.
Miami Heat Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 6-4
Before playing Atlanta are 8-2
After playing Portland are 5-5
After a win are 8-2
Oklahoma City Thunder Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 7-3
Before playing Houston are 9-1
After playing Utah are 5-5
After a loss are 9-1
A few Heat at Thunder trends to consider:
Miami is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Miami is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Oklahoma City
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Miami's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Miami's last 11 games when playing on the road against Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Oklahoma City is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Oklahoma City's last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Oklahoma City's last 11 games when playing at home against Miami
Next up:
Miami at Atlanta, Wednesday, February 20
Oklahoma City at Houston, Wednesday, February 20
