LeBron James and the Miami Heat find themselves in a 2-2 tie with the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals as the two teams get ready for Game 5 of the series on Thursday night.
Indiana pulled even in the series with a 99-92 victory as a 3-point home underdog on the NBA betting lines in Game 4 of the set on Tuesday night. That improved the Pacers to 3-1 ATS in the series, with the OVER paying out in each of the four games.
(Note: follow us on Twitter for line updates and injuries news). The Heat currently sports a record of 66-16, and have posted a corresponding betting slate of 46-36 ATS. The Pacers are 49-32 and 42-39 ATS. Betting totals have seen the Heat post a 43-39 OVER/UNDER record this season, while the Pacers have gone 39-42 against the number.
View Indiana vs Miami Odds and Stats.
Betting Line:
The Heat were listed as 8-point favorites at sportsbooks tracked by Odds Shark (including Sportsbook), with the total was listed at 183.5 over at Sportsbook earlier.
Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Heat sit at No. 6 in the current NBA Power Rankings here at Odds Shark, while the Pacers are at No. 2 on that chart. Math models have concluded that the Heat will win this game 104-100.
How They Match Up:
The game also pits Miami's No. 5-ranked offense, averaging 102.9 PPG, against a Pacers defense that ranks No. 2 at 90.7 PPG. The Heat field goal percentage has averaged 49.6% so far, more than the Pacers shooters have achieved on the year, 43.6% per game.
Defensively, the Pacers feature the league's No. 1-rated defense on the road, giving up 91.6 points per game. Miami, meanwhile, comes in at No. 4 in the league in scoring at home.
Miami lost its last outing, a 99-92 result against the Pacers on May 28. The Heat failed to cover in that game as a 3-point favorite, while the 191 combined points took the game OVER the total. Miami got 24 points from LeBron James but lost anyway 99-92 against the Pacers on Tuesday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
Indiana Pacers Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 9-1
Before playing Miami are 6-4
After playing Miami are 6-4
After a win are 4-6
Miami Heat Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 9-1
Before playing Indiana are 8-2
After playing Indiana are 7-3
After a loss are 9-1
A few Pacers at Heat trends to consider:
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Indiana's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Indiana's last 5 games when playing Miami
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Indiana's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Indiana's last 5 games when playing on the road against Miami
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Miami's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Miami's last 5 games when playing Indiana
Miami is 22-3 SU in its last 25 games at home
Miami is 18-3 SU in its last 21 games
Next up:
Indiana home to Miami, Saturday, June 1
Miami at Indiana, Saturday, June 1
