The Miami Heat (38-32) and Houston Rockets (42-27) will square off in the NBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 8:00 p.m. ET from the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. The game will broadcast live on FDSSUN.
The Rockets are 1.5-point favorites over the Heat on the spread (Rockets -1.5), with the over/under set at 229.5 total points. Houston is -135 to win outright on the moneyline, while Miami is +114 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Heat vs. Rockets predictions and NBA picks for Saturday, March 21.
Heat vs Rockets Prediction, Pick
- Heat vs Rockets pick: Reed Sheppard Over 3.5 Assists (-110)
My Rockets vs. Heat best bet is on Reed Sheppard to go over 3.5 assists. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NBA odds page.
Heat vs Rockets Odds
| Heat Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -105 | 229.5 -110o / -110u | +114 |
| Rockets Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 -115 | 229.5 -110o / -110u | -135 |
Heat vs Rockets NBA Preview
The Rockets rebounded from their back-to-back losses to the Los Angeles Lakers in their latest win over the Atlanta Hawks, but haven't come close to playing their best basketball in March.
A recent lineup change could make a huge difference for the Rockets in this matchup.
Reed Sheppard replaced Tari Eason on Friday in his first start since March 6 and poured in 14 points to go along with seven rebounds, four assists, two blocks, and a steal against Atlanta.
Whether he'll remain a starter moving forward remains to be seen.
Eason, who is averaging a season-low 7.0 points per game in March, didn't appear to be discouraged by his demotion. He notched a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds off the bench against the Hawks.
Sheppard and Eason will likely need to produce at a high level on offense against one of the league's highest-scoring teams.
Miami is second to the Denver Nuggets in points per game (120.3), but is enduring a rough stretch of its own.
The Heat have lost three consecutive contests and could use a pick-me-up win in this interconference matchup.
Bam Adebayo has cooled off since he scored a career-high 83 points against the Wizards. He has still scored 20+ points in three straight outings since then, but hasn't had to do as much heavy lifting with Tyler Herro and Norman Powell back in the mix.
Miami won't be at full strength due to several significant injuries, but it has a chance to improve to 2-0 in its season series with Houston without two of its top-five scorers.
Andrew Wiggins (toe) and Jaime Jaquez Jr. (hip) have been ruled out for Miami, while Pelle Larsson (foot) and Simone Fontecchio (back) are listed as questionable.
Heat vs Rockets Predictions, Betting Analysis
There's a good chance that Sheppard will start again after posting a strong stat line against Atlanta.
While his scoring punch is his greatest strength, his playmaking shouldn't be underestimated.
Sheppard's season average is 3.2 dimes per contest, but he averages 4.9 helpers per game as a starter. He's also eclipsed three assists in his previous four starts.
Bettors should expect the sharpshooter to create for others often when he doesn't have a good look.
Pick: Reed Sheppard Over 3.5 Assists (-110)
