After winning but failing to cover the spread in Game 2 on Tuesday night the Miami Heat will try to do a better job for their supporters on Thursday in Game 3 against the Bucks.
Miami topped Milwaukee 98-86 as a 14.5-point favorite on the NBA betting lines at the sportsbooks on Tuesday night to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven first-round series. Dwayne Wade scored a team-high 21 points for the Heat in that Game 2 victory.
Milwaukee battles the Heat, currently with a 66-16 mark (46-36 ATS). The OVER/UNDER records, important for totals bettors, are 41-41 for the Bucks and 43-39 for the Heat. (Note: follow us on Twitter for line updates and injuries news).
View Miami vs Milwaukee Odds and Stats.
Betting Line:
Oddsmakers at Sportsbook opened the Bucks as 7.5-point underdogs in this matchup earlier today, while the OVER/UNDER line was sitting around 195.5 earlier at Sportsbook.
Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Bucks sit at No. 14 in the current NBA Power Rankings here at Odds Shark, while the Heat are at No. 6 on that chart. Math models have concluded that the Heat will win this game 107-98.
How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Milwaukee's No. 12-ranked offense (98.9 PPG) against a Heat defense that ranks No. 5 at 95 PPG. The Bucks have averaged 43.5% from the field per game, less than the Heat have managed so far this season (49.6% on average).
In comparing how the teams stack up statistically, the Heat own the league's No. 3-rated mark, allowing 94.4 points per game when playing on the road. Milwaukee, on the other hand, rates No. 12 in scoring on their home court.
Last time out for Milwaukee, they were a 98-86 loser as they battled the Heat on the road. The Bucks covered in the match as a 14-point underdog, while 184 combined points moved the game UNDER for totals bettors. Ersan Ilyasova scored 21 points in a failed effort to lead the Bucks to victory (they lost 98-86 to Miami at AmericanAirlines Arena on Tuesday).
Miami Heat Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 9-1
Before playing Milwaukee are 9-1
After playing Milwaukee are 10-0
After a win are 9-1
Milwaukee Bucks Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 3-7
Before playing Miami are 5-5
After playing Miami are 2-8
After a loss are 4-6
A few Heat at Bucks trends to consider:
Miami is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Miami is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Miami's last 5 games when playing Milwaukee
Miami is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Milwaukee
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 5 games when playing Miami
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 7 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 15 of Milwaukee's last 21 games when playing at home against Miami
Next up:
Miami at Milwaukee, Sunday, April 28
Milwaukee home to Miami, Sunday, April 28
