It'll be Carmelo vs. LeBron in NBA betting action on Friday night as the Miami Heat play host to the New York Knicks.
The Knicks are 2-0 both straight up and against the spread in their last couple of meetings with the Heat, but overall Miami is 7-3 SU (5-5 ATS) over their 10 most recent matchups since 2008.
View New York vs Miami Odds and Stats.
Power Rankings / Prediction:
It's a betting matchup between the No. 3-rated Heat and the No. 25-ranked Knicks, according to the NBA Power Rankings here at Odds Shark. Predictive-scoring formulas run on this game indicate a potential 105-97 result in favor of the Heat.
How They Match Up:
When it comes to rebounds, the visiting Knicks rank No. 12 in the league with 42.8 per game. That compares with Miami’s No. 19 ranking in that category. The story is different when it comes to three-point shooting where Miami is the NBA’s No. 18-ranked team at 5.9 per game, while the Knicks rate No. 9 with 6.8 per contest.
Defensively, the Knicks feature the league's No. 3-rated defense on the road, allowing 91.8 points per game. Miami, meanwhile, comes in at No. 1 in the league in scoring at home.
New York lost its last outing, a 91-81 result against the Cavaliers on January 25. The Knicks failed to cover in that game as a 3.5-point favorite, while the 172 combined points took the game UNDER the total. New York suffered a 91-81 loss against Cleveland on Wednesday, getting 19 points from Amar'e Stoudemire in a losing effort at Quicken Loans Arena.
The Heat were a 101-98 Sportsbook in their most recent outing on the road against the Pistons. They failed to cover the 8.5-point spread as favorites, while the total score (199) made Sportsbooks of OVER bettors. LeBron James went off for 32 points and added 6 rebounds leading Miami to a 101-98 win over Detroit on Wednesday at The Palace of Auburn Hills.
New York Knicks Trends:
When playing on Friday are 5-5
Before playing Houston are 4-6
After playing Cleveland are 5-5
After a loss are 3-7
Miami Heat Trends:
When playing on Friday are 4-6
Before playing Chicago are 7-3
After playing Detroit are 6-4
After a win are 7-3
A few Knicks at Heat trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of New York's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of New York's last 12 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New York's last 6 games when playing Miami
New York is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Miami is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Miami is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
Miami is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against New York
Miami is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing New York
Next up:
New York at Houston, Saturday, January 28
Miami home to Chicago, Sunday, January 29
