We have an interesting matchup to tip off the weekend in the NBA this evening as the Miami Heat visit the New Orleans Pelicans at 8 p.m. ET.
Miami (30-25) is returning from the All-Star break tonight and is hoping to once again catch fire down the home stretch of the regular season. The Heat won six of eight before the break and are currently the eight-seed in the Eastern Conference. New Orleans (34-22) got a big win in its return from the All-Star hiatus last night, blowing out the Rockets 127-105. The victory extended its win streak to four as CJ McCollum dropped 28 points, six rebounds, and six assists.
On the injury front, Tyler Herro (foot) is listed as questionable for the Heat while Duncan Robinson (shoulder) is available. Terry Rozier (knee) and Josh Richardson (shoulder) will both miss tonight’s game for Miami. Meanwhile, New Orleans has yet to release its injury report as of this writing.
New Orleans enters this game as a 3.5-point favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook, accompanied by a total of 219.5. The Pelicans are listed as a -155 moneyline favorite, making the Heat a +130 underdog.
Heat vs. Pelicans, 8 p.m. ET
Pick ATS: Heat +3.5
New Orleans has been dialed in throughout February, and the team is trying to break into the upper half of the Western Conference playoff standings. However, the Pels have been prone to take their foot off the gas following wins, posting a 16-17 record against the spread in games after victories. That presents an opportunity for Jimmy Butler and Miami to ignite its playoff push by downing a quality opponent on the road and I think they do just that. Give me the Heat to cover and outright win tonight.
Over/Under: Over 219.5
Unders have been the play for both teams throughout the year and it isn’t a surprise to see a low total for this matchup. While it should be a competitive matchup on the defensive side of the floor, I think both teams can respectively get to 110 points to trigger the over in this one.