One of the two divisional rivalry games in the NBA scheduled for Saturday, February 25, will be played in Charlotte, and here you can check out the best Heat vs. Hornets betting pick and odds.

Both Miami and Charlotte will be playing the second game of a back-to-back set when they meet at Spectrum Center. The Heat are -5.5 favorites on BetDSI Sportsbook, while the total is set at N/A points. These Southeast Division foes will face for the fourth time this year; the Heat lead the series 2-1.

Heat lost two straight

The Miami Heat (32-27, 22-35-2 ATS) were on a three-game winning run but they suffered losses in the next two games to the Denver Nuggets and Brooklyn Nets. The Heat opened a four-game road trip with a 116-105 defeat against the Nets, who defended the perimeter very well and limited Miami to 28.6% and eight three-pointers, while Brooklyn scored 17 in return. It pretty much decided the tilt, but it’s important to note that the hosts also were better in assists (26-19). Miami will face the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday, after which they will come to Charlotte to take on the Hornets on Saturday.

Bam Adebayo led the Heat in Brooklyn with a double-double of 24 points and game-high 13 rebounds along with a game-high six assists and two blocks. Gabe Vincent scored 21, Max Strus had 18 points and four boards, while Jimmy Butler and Caleb Martin combined for 26 points, ten rebounds, and seven dishes.

PG Kyle Lowry (knee), C Omer Yurtseven (ankle), and F Nikola Jovic (back) are out indefinitely.

Hornets closed a homestay with a win

The Charlotte Hornets (17-43, 25-32-3 ATS) went through a bad period of the season as they suffered seven consecutive defeats, but managed to win the last two. The Hornets did open a three-game home stand with a loss to the Denver Nuggets but responded with a pair of victories over the Atlanta Hawks and San Antonio Spurs. After scoring a season-high 144 points against Atlanta, Charlotte scored 120 in a 120-110 win over the Spurs. They kept the visitors to 38.3% from the floor, even though they weren’t excellent on the other end (44.8%). The Hornets will meet Minnesota on the road on Friday and then will return home to welcome the Heat.

LaMelo Ball led the Hornets in a win against San Antonio with a triple-double of 28 points, 12 rebounds, and ten assists, all game-highs. P.J. Washington posted a double-double of 22 points and ten boards with three blocks, Gordon Hayward added 16 points and five rebounds, while Mark Williams recorded a double-double of 12 points and ten boards along with four rejections.

SF Cody Martin (knee) is out indefinitely and will not play against the Heat on Saturday.

Trends:

Miami:

  • 1-6 ATS in the last six games overall
  • 2-5 ATS in the last seven road games
  • 7-18-1 ATS in the last 26 games vs. a team with a losing straight-up record

Charlotte:

N/A

Miami Heat vs. Charlotte Hornets Pick

Miami will have some of its key players such as Tyler Herro and Victor Oladipo against Milwaukee on Friday. But given the Heat will play the second game of a back-to-back set on Saturday, I think Erik Spoelstra will opt to rest both of them and perhaps one or two more starters. Charlotte is playing well recently and even though they have no chance of making the playoffs this year, I am sure the Hornets will try to win as many games as possible, especially against the divisional foes. Even if they lose this one, I am backing the hosts to put up a fight and cover.

Pick: Take the Hornets at +6.5 (-130)

The Total

The Heat have been quite contradictory this season when it comes to offense and defense. They have the second-best defense in the NBA that allows 108.3 points per game, while their offense is the least efficient in the league as it scores 108.3 ppg. That being said, it’s rather tough to predict Miami’s games in totals, but if coach Spoelstra decided to rest some of his key players, I expect to see a low-scoring affair. Under is 24-10 in the last 34 H2H meetings in Charlotte, while Under is 7-2 in the Hornets’ previous nine overall.

Pick: Go Under N/A points