Update: Jovic and Butler are in, while Adebayo has been ruled out. The Cavaliers are 2.5-point favorites and the total comes in at 206.5. I still like Cleveland as the ATS pick and the under on the total.
Update: Bam Adebayo has been downgraded to questionable for the Heat. Butler and Jovic remain questionable for Miami. The spread is still 1.5 in favor of Cleveland. The total is 204.5. I’ll wait on the final statuses of these players before making an updated pick.
Eastern Conference playoff hopefuls collide Wednesday when the Miami Heat (37-31) visit the Cleveland Cavaliers (43-25). The Heat are coming off a loss to the 76ers Monday, while the Cavaliers defeated Pacers in their last game. These teams have met twice before this season, splitting the games between them.
There are plenty of injuries to dive into. Jimmy Butler and Nikola Jovic are questionable for the Heat, while Tyler Herro remains out. Donovan Mitchell is sidelined for the Cavaliers and is expected to miss about a week, while Evan Mobley and Max Strus remain out.
The Cavaliers are 1.5-point favorites according to DraftKings Sportsbook with the total set at 204. Cleveland is -118 on the moneyline while Miami is -102.
Heat vs. Cavaliers, 7 p.m. ET
Pick ATS: Cavaliers -1.5
Cleveland still has Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen in the lineup, which has been enough to stay afloat amid the injuries. The Cavaliers have done well to mitigate players being out, and they are consistent regardless of venue. Even though the Heat are 20-15-1 ATS as the road team this season, they are 12-18 ATS coming off a loss. Cleveland is 21-22-2 ATS as a favorite.
If Butler plays, I believe the Cavaliers would still cover in this game as likely underdogs. For now, I’ll take them to win what is essentially a pick ‘em.
Over/Under: Under 204
Both teams are trending to the under, and there’s enough offensive firepower not taking the floor to think that’ll continue Wednesday. The Heat are 9-27 to the over as the road team and have gone under their totals in the last seven games. The Cavaliers are actually 18-15-1 to the over as the home team, and have gone over their totals in four of the last six games. However, Mitchell being out and Miami’s defense should keep them relatively at bay in this one. I’ll take the under, even on this low number.