There’s no other way to say it NBA bettors. The Miami Heat are going to pound the listless Phoenix Suns absolutely senseless when they host their pitiful Western Conference counterparts on Thursday night. Now, let’s find out if the Heat can cover what looks like a definite double-digit point NBA betting spread.
How to Bet the Phoenix vs. Miami NBA Odds & TV Info
When: Thursday, March 3, 7:30 PM ET
Where: American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida
TV: FSAZ, SUN
Radio: 790 AM The Ticket
TV Stream: FoxSportsGO
NBA Odds: TBA
Why Bet the Phoenix Suns
There is absolutely no reason to back the Phoenix Suns (15-45 SU, 23-37 ATS) in this contest unless you believe they can cover the NBA betting line with a ton of points. Phoenix has lost nine of its last 10 games including its pitiful 126-92 blowout loss against Charlotte on Tuesday night while never coming close to covering the spread as a 12.5-point road dog.
The Suns (15-45) had five players reach double figures in scoring but still suffered their 16th consecutive road loss. Alex Len scored a team-high 18 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, and Mirza Teletovic scored 17 points. “This game, we just got beat,” interim coach Earl Watson said. “A lot of it is immaturity, not in a bad way, but just in a realistic way.
The Suns are 15-33 ATS in their last 48 games overall and allow a whopping 107.9 points per game while averaging just 100.5 points per game offensively.
Why Bet the Miami Heat
The Heat (34-26 SU, 32-27 ATS) look like a great pick because they’re playing good basketball and have been bolstered by the addition of veteran sniper Joe Johnson. Miami has won two straight and five of its last seven games including its overwhelming 129-111 win over Chicago as a 6-point home favorite on Tuesday.
Miami set a franchise shooting record in the win by draining a blistering 67.5 percent of their shots for a season high in points. Athletically gifted center Hassan Whiteside scored a career-high 26 points and grabbed 14 rebounds while Joe Johnson scored 24 points in his Miami home debut. “The game felt effortless offensively,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We’re not calling specific play calls to say, `OK, this is for you, you get your shot.’ It’s five-man basketball, guys are making the right play and if you see somebody open you follow the fundamental law of basketball and throw it to them.”
Miami averages a modest 97.5 points per game while limiting the opposition to just 96.9 points per game defensively.
Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that the Phoenix Suns are in big trouble in this contest. Miami has been revitalized by the addition of Joe Johnson and has added another consistent scorer to go along with D-Wade and Goran Dragic, not to mention the fact that Hassan Whiteside is playing the best offensive basketball of his young career right now.
The Favorite in this series is 6-1 ATS in the last 7 meetings while the Suns have gone 6-21 ATS in the last 27 meetings and 1-4 ATS in the last five road games against the Heat. The Heat are 4-0 ATS in their last four home games and 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games overall while the Suns have gone 5-21 ATS in their last 26 road games and 1-5 ATS in their last six games against their Eastern Conference counterparts.
My final score prediction: Miami 114 Phoenix 96
