The Miami Heat (38-30) and Charlotte Hornets (34-34) will square off in the NBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. ET from the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. The game will broadcast live on FDSSUN.
The Hornets are 4-point favorites over the Heat on the spread (Hornets -4), with the over/under set at 233.5 total points. Charlotte is a -180 favorite to win outright on the moneyline, while Miami is +150 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Heat vs. Hornets predictions and NBA picks for Tuesday, March 17.
Heat vs Hornets Prediction, Pick
- Heat vs Hornets pick: LaMelo Ball Over 19.5 Points (-120)
My Hornets vs. Heat best bet is on LaMelo Ball to score over 19.5 points. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NBA odds page.
Heat vs Hornets Odds
| Heat Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+4 -110 | 233.5 -110o / -110u | +150 |
| Hornets Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-4 -110 | 233.5 -110o / -110u | -180 |
Heat vs Hornets NBA Preview
This is an underrated important game as it pertains in the Eastern Conference standings.
The Hornets are positioned 10th and trail the Heat by four games, who are in seventh as of this writing.
The Hornets have already lost the season series with a record of 0-3 against the Heat so far, but Charlotte is still attempting to nab a top-eight seed — and with time running out, this game is increasingly important.
The injury report is as follows.
Here's a big one: Bam Adebayo (calf) is questionable to play and popped up on the injury report early yesterday afternoon.
Andrew Wiggins (toe) is out, while Pelle Larsson (elbow) and Nikola Jovic (back) are probable.
Jovic has been out of action since February 20, and this has been a bust of a season for him. So, even though he's in line to return, keep your expectations low if he plays.
Heat vs Hornets Predictions, Betting Analysis
LaMelo Ball tends to shoot poorly against the Heat, but he certainly sees plenty of volume — and now with a healthy Hornets team, Miami has more to account for beyond him defensively.
Ball should still be able to hurt their point of attack defense, especially given that Tyler Herro and Norman Powell are both healthy and will play big minutes.
Adebayo may sit, and other than Erik Spoelstra, he's the main reason this Heat defense is so good. So, any flexibility to switch Adebayo onto Ball would be in jeopardy.
Andrew Wiggins, another alternative, is out.
Ball has gone over 19.5 points in three of his last five games, including a 21-point game 11 days ago against Miami.
He had 17 points in 22 minutes against the Spurs last game, but was limited due to foul trouble, not injury management.
Ball is averaging 30.6 field goal attempts per 100 possessions on the season, which is the second-most of his career.
This just comes down to minutes — and with two nights off, in a near must-win game, Ball could hit 29+ minutes for the fifth time in the last eight games.
Pick: LaMelo Ball Over 19.5 Points (-120)
