The Cleveland Cavaliers will welcome the Miami Heat into Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse tonight as they look to get their record to 5-6 on the season. Vegas gambling experts have the Heat as the favorite, which way should you bet it against the spread?
The Cleveland Cavaliers are returning home after a successful, yet heartbreaking three-game road trip. The Cavaliers finished the road trip 2-1 but fell in dramatic fashion in their final game of the trip against the Philadelphia 76ers.
On the first night of the trip, they led wire-to-wire against the Washington Wizards and knocked them off 113-100. They followed that up with another wire-to-wire performance as they bludgeoned the New York Knicks 108-87. The Cavaliers fought tough and had a five-point lead in Philadelphia with a little over two minutes to go until a 76ers’ 6-0 run propelled them to a 98-97 win over Cleveland.
It was still very encouraging to see the Cavaliers decimate two of the bottom feeders in the Eastern Conference, and then contend, and battle with one of the top squads in the conference. If it wasn’t for poor execution over the final two minutes of that game, they likely return to Cleveland with a 3-0 road trip.
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In welcoming the Miami Heat into Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, the Cavaliers are welcoming a team that is the true epitome of the word “team.” Jimmy Butler is the team’s best player, but they spread the love when it comes to scoring.
Butler leads the team in scoring at 19.4 points per game according to ESPN. However, they have six players who are currently averaging double digits per night. In addition to Butler, Kendrick Nunn (16.9 points), Goran Dragic (16.8 points), Justise Winslow (13.8 points), Bam Adebayo (13.3 points), and Tyler Herro (13.1 points), are all averaging double-digit scoring each night.
Miami is middle of the road in offensive rating as they sit 17th in the NBA at 107 per NBA.com. The Cavaliers, for reference, are only three spots lower at 20th, with an offensive rating of 105.5.
The Heat are one of the best defensive teams in the league. They rank fourth in the NBA with a defensive rating of 101.6 per NBA.com. The Cavaliers will need to execute at a high level on the offensive end to pull this one out.
The Action Network took a while to get this line up, but have just set it Cleveland +4.5. So far, 54% of the money has come in on Miami to cover the 4.5 point spread.
Miami is battling a bit of the injury bug heading into tonight’s matchup with the Cavaliers. Point-forward Justise Winslow is still recovering from a concussion and will be out tonight. Rookie sharpshooter Tyler Herro missed Tuesday’s game with an ankle injury and is considered a game-time-decision for tonight’s contest.
If Herro sits, Duncan Robinson is likely to see an increased role. While he is a very good spot-up shooter, he does not possess the offensive versatility that Herro does.
The bet – Cleveland Cavaliers – +4.5
This is a tough game to get a gambling feel for. The Cavaliers, obviously, won’t be able to stop all of the Heat’s double-digit scorers but they need to limit the majority of them. Butler is likely going to put up his usual numbers but they really need to focus on Nunn and Dragic and limit their effectiveness.
The Cavaliers’ front line will also have their hands full with the triumvirate of Adebayo, Meyers Leonard, and Kelly Olynyk. Adebayo has been excellent so far this season and has to be mentioned among the favorites for the NBA’s Most Improved Player award. Leonard and Olynyk are very solid big men who can stretch the floor for the Heat.
However, that goes both ways. The Heat will also have their hands full with Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson, both have been stellar so far this season. The frontcourt may be a wash so the determining factor could be guard play tonight.
Luckily for the Cavaliers, their leading scorer is Collin Sexton at 18.7 points per game according to Basketball-Reference. Rookie point guard Darius Garland is also showing signs of life in his last couple of games after a poor start. If the Cavs’ guards can outplay Miami’s guards, the Cavs will not only cover the spread tonight but could win it outright.