Indiana Pacers vs. Miami Heat Betting Preview | Jan 2

Indiana Pacers (16-18 SU, 14-19 ATS) vs. Miami Heat (17-14 SU, 15-16 ATS)

When: Thursday, January 2nd, 7:30 PM (ET)

Where: Kaseya Center, FL, Miami

TV: FDSS

Point Spread: Ind +1.5/Mia -1.5

Total: 224.5

Money Line: Indiana Pacers +101/-121

Notable Injuries

Pacers

• James Wiseman (Out) Achilles
• Aaron Nesmith (Out) Ankle
• Isaiah Jackson (Out) Achilles

Heat

• Josh Richardson (Questionable) Heel
• Dru Smith (Out) Lower Leg

The Miami Heat (-121) will host the Indiana Pacers (+101) in an Eastern Conference matchup. The Heat are 6th in the East with a 17-14 record and have won two straight games. The Pacers are 8th in the East at 16-18.

This game will be played at the Kaseya Center in Miami and is scheduled to tip off at 7:30 ET. The Heat are currently favored by 1.5 points, and the over/under line is set at 224.5. Fans can watch this game on FDSS.

Recent Form

Indiana dropped to 16-18 on the season after a 120-112 loss to the Bucks on Tuesday. The Pacers were +2 point underdogs at home and failed to cover the spread. The game’s total of 232 points narrowly exceeded the pre-game line of 230.

After taking control with a 36-23 2nd quarter, the Pacers couldn’t maintain their momentum. Milwaukee went on a 12-0 run, extending the score from 83-66 to 95-66, and outscored Indiana 32-21 in the 4th quarter to seal the win.

Miami improved to 17-14 this season with a 119-108 win over the Pelicans on Wednesday. Playing at home, the Heat were favored by 9 points and covered the spread. The total score of 227 points went over the pre-game line of 220.5.

Miami jumped out to a 36-24 lead after the 1st quarter, but the Pelicans responded with an 11-0 run, extending their lead from 50-41 to 61-41. The Heat regained control by outscoring New Orleans 34-25 in the 3rd quarter, entering the 4th with a 90-76 lead. Despite being outscored 32-29 in the final period, Miami held on for the win.

The Historicals

The level of competition has been tight in the five most recent games between the Pacers and Heat, with just 0 points per game separating the teams. Miami has the ATS edge in this span at 3-2. In these matchups, the teams have put together an over-under mark of 5-0. Combined, they averaged 248 points in these games.

Analysis

Bennedict Mathurin led the Pacers with 25 points and nine rebounds in their 120-112 loss to the Bucks, shooting 55.6% from the field and hitting three threes at a 60% clip. Pascal Siakam added 20 points, with nine coming in the 2nd quarter, and Myles Turner contributed 16 points and 10 rebounds.

The Pacers shot 44.4% from the field and made 13 threes at 35.1%. Mathurin scored 10 points in the 4th quarter, while Jarace Walker added 8 of his 11 points in the 2nd period.

Despite a solid defensive effort in the 2nd quarter, the Pacers couldn’t hold off the Bucks, giving up 35 points in the 3rd and 32 in the 4th, leading to a 120-112 loss. Indiana allowed Milwaukee to shoot 46% from the field.

Indiana limited the Bucks to 12 made threes on 36% shooting from deep. The Pacers also sent Milwaukee to the line 24 times, where they hit 18 free throws. Defensively, Indiana recorded eight steals and seven blocks.

In their win over the Pelicans, the Heat shot 53% from the field and hit 14 threes at a 41.2% clip. Tyler Herro led the way with 32 points, knocking down five threes, while Bam Adebayo added 23 points and 10 assists, shooting 64.3%.

Herro scored 12 points in the 3rd quarter and another 9 in the 4th. Adebayo also contributed 12 points in the final period, and Duncan Robinson added 9 of his 17 points in the 3rd.

Even with the Heat allowing the Pelicans to shoot 50% from the field, they managed to keep New Orleans to 108 points in their win. Miami gave up 24 points in the 1st quarter, 27 in the 2nd, and 25 in the 3rd before allowing 32 in the final period.

From beyond the arc, the Heat held the Pelicans to just 9 made threes on 26% shooting. Miami also limited New Orleans to 5 offensive rebounds while collecting six steals in the game.

Betting Trends

• The Pacers are 4-1 ATS in their last road games and 4-1 straight-up.
• Through their last five home contests, the Heat offense has averaged 108 points per game while allowing an average of 110. Miami posted an overall record of 2-3 while going 2-3 ATS.
• As the betting underdog, the Pacers have an ATS mark of just 2-3 in their last five games. Indiana posted a straight-up mark of 2-3 in these matchups.
• As the betting favorite, the Heat have an ATS record of 2-1 in their last three games. In these matchups, their straight-up record was 2-1.

Joes Pick To Cover The Spread

Indiana was in control for much of their last game vs the Bucks, but they took their foot off the gas in the 4th quarter and dropped a game they should have won. Now, they look to get back on track vs. a Heat squad they are jockeying within the Eastern Conference standings. Despite the loss, I saw some good things from the Pacers in their last game, and they are starting to get healthier. I like Indiana to win straight-up.