Things have gone from bad to worse for the Miami Heat, as they blew an 11-point first-quarter lead to the New York Knicks on Monday to suffer a 21-point loss – their eighth straight defeat.
The losing streak is the longest for the Heat in the Erik Spoelstra era, and they are now the No. 10 seed in the Eastern Conference after the Chicago Bulls picked up a win on Monday night to leapfrog them in the standings.
Things won’t get any easier, as the Heat face the No. 6 seed in the East – the Detroit Pistons – at Kaseya Center in Miami on March 19.
Detroit is coming off a blowout win over the New Orleans Pelicans, and it’s within striking distance of the No. 4 seed in the East.
Will Miami’s losing streak come to an end, or should bettors prepare to back Cade Cunningham and the Pistons?
Here’s a look at the latest odds, players to watch in the prop market, and my prediction for Wednesday’s contest.
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.
Spread
Moneyline
Total
Note: These prop picks were made before odds were released and are suggestions based off of recent player performance.
This should be a big game on the glass for Detroit big man Jalen Duren, as the Heat are 21st in the NBA in opponent rebounds per game and dead last in the league in offensive rating over their last 10 games – meaning there should be a ton of missed shots in this game.
Duren is averaging 10.3 rebounds per game this season, and he’s picked up 11, 11, and 16 in his three meetings with the Heat.
An All-Star this season, Herro has cooled off since the break, shooting just 30.2 percent from 3 and averaging 22.3 points per game across 14 games.
Herro has scored more than 22 points in a game just one time this month, and now he’s taking on a stingy Detroit defense that is No. 1 in the NBA in defensive rating over its last 10 games.
There’s just no way anyone can trust this Miami team right now.
Not only has it posted a net rating of -23.8 in the fourth quarter over its last 10 games, but it is 27th overall in net rating over that stretch.
The Heat can’t score the ball, ranking dead last in the NBA in offensive rating over this 10-game stretch.
Meanwhile, the Pistons are No. 1 in defensive rating and No. 4 in net rating over their last 10 games, picking up a 46-point win over New Orleans on Monday night. Simply put, the Pistons are a much better team right now, and they are already 2-1 against Miami this season.
Plus, Detroit has been elite as a road favorite, going 10-3 against the spread in 13 games.
I’ll gladly back the Pistons on Wednesday night.
Pick: Pistons -5 (-115 at DraftKings)
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