At 8:00 ET, the Miami Heat (-165) will host the New Orleans Pelicans (+138) in a non-conference matchup. The Heat are currently favored by 3.5 points, and the over/under line is set at 205.5.

Heading into tonight’s game, the Pelicans are 5th in the Western Conference with a record of 42-27, while the Heat are 7th in the East with a record of 38-31.

NEW ORLEANS PELICANS VS MIAMI HEAT BETTING PICK

The Pick: New Orleans Pelicans +3.5

This game will be played at Kaseya Center at 8:00 ET on Friday, March 22nd.

WHY BET THE NEW ORLEANS PELICANS:

  • We have this one finishing with a projected score of 114-112 in favor of the Heat.
  • Our projections have Jimmy Butler finishing with Jimmy Butler points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists.
  • From the field, we have the Heat finishing with a field goal percentage of 47.0% and knocking down 9 threes.

Do the Pelicans Have a Shot at a Win at Miami?

In Pelicans games this season, the average over/under line is 228.6, which is higher than today’s line of 205.5. Their games have averaged 226.7 points per game.

New Orleans is 30-39 on the over/under for the season, and their last game against the Magic went over the O/U line of 207.5. The teams combined for 227 points.

The Pelicans are 38-30 against the spread this season, going 19-16 ATS on the road and 19-14 ATS at home. They have failed to cover the spread in their last two road games.

After losing to the Magic (121-106), the Pelicans are now 42-27 on the season. In the Western Conference, they are in 5th place and are leading the Southwest Division.

In the West, the Pelicans have gone 26-18 against other teams and are 16-9 against the East. On the road, they are 22-14 compared to 20-13 at home.

In their games this season, the Pelicans have been the underdog in 25 of their 69 games. As the underdog, they are 15-10 vs. the spread and have a scoring margin of -0.6 PPG.

Heading into tonight’s game, the Pelicans are 13th in the NBA in scoring at 115.8 points per game. On the road, they are averaging 115.1 points per game this season.

When it comes to pace, New Orleans is 17th in the league at 97.6 possessions per game. In terms of field goal percentage, they are 8th in the NBA at 48%.

So far this season, the Pelicans have outscored the NBA scoring average in 53.6% of their games. In terms of three-point shooting, they are 8th in the NBA at 37%.

At present, the Pelicans’ defense is ranked 8th, allowing 110.9 points per game. When it comes to defending inside the arc, the Pelicans squad is permitting opposing teams to shoot at a clip of 55.1% inside the arc, and they’re also giving up 34.6% from downtown.

Will the Heat Win at Kaseya Center?

The Heat have a record of 38-31 this season, which has them in 7th place in the Eastern Conference. In games against other Eastern Conference teams, they are 26-18 and 11-3 against their division.

Miami’s ATS record for the season is 32-34, and they have covered the spread in their last four home games. Today, they are favored by 3.5 points and have a record of 16-19 ATS at home.

In their win over the Cavaliers, the teams combined for 211 points, surpassing the O/U line of 207.5. This season, the average O/U line in Miami’s games is 221.9, and their games have averaged 218.9 points.

In the Heat’s 107-104 win over the Cavaliers, they were 3-point underdogs going into the game. This was their 2nd straight win as the favorite, and they have a record of 27-11 as the favorite this season.

The Heat have been a below-average offensive team this season, ranking 27th in the league in points per game at 109.7. At home, they are averaging 112.7 points per game, which is 22nd in the NBA. Overall, Miami has outscored the NBA scoring average in just 36.2% of their games.

When it comes to three-point shooting, the Heat are 10th in the league with a three-point percentage of 37%. They are also 10th in free throw attempts per game, but just 23rd in two-point field goal attempts.

So far this season, Miami has made an average of 25.6 assists per game, which is 22nd in the NBA. In terms of pace, they are 29th in the league at 95.8 possessions per game.

Not only do the Heat’s overall defensive numbers look good, as they are 4th in the league in points allowed. Miami has also been playing well on defense of late, ranking 4th in the league over their last three games at 101 PPG allowed. In the terms of takeaways, Heat are causing 11.9 turnovers per game, ranking 6th in the league. They also enter the matchup ranked 30th in rejections, averaging 3.4 blocked shots each game.