The Eastern Conference playoff picture will continue to develop as the New York Knicks (44-30) meet the Miami Heat (41-33) meet Tuesday in a crucial encounter for positioning. The Knicks have lost two in a row and are now just two games up on the sixth and final automatic playoff spot, while the Heat have won two in a row and are just a game back of that No. 6 seed. These teams have met twice already this season, with New York winning both contests.
The Knicks continue to be without Julius Randle and OG Anunoby, while Mitchell Robinson is considered probable. Miami is without Tyler Herro, but Nikola Jovic, Caleb Martin, Terry Rozier and Duncan Robinson are all listed as probable.
The Heat are 3-point favorites according to DraftKings Sportsbook with the total coming in at 207.5. Miami is -148 on the moneyline while New York is +124.
Knicks vs. Heat, 7:30 p.m. ET
Pick ATS: Heat -3
New York is 19-15-2 ATS as the road team this season, but just 9-11-1 ATS as a road underdog. Miami has been particularly bad against the number at home with a 14-22 ATS mark. The Heat are 13-14 ATS as a home favorite. Both teams are actually in decent form overall. The Knicks have won seven of their last 10 and the Heat have picked up six of their last nine.
Even though the Knicks won both head-to-head meetings this season, I think the Heat are able to get the job done at home with most of the rotation intact. New York will continue to feel the absence of Randle and Anunoby, allowing the Heat to cover in this game.
Over/Under: Over 207.5
One of the two meetings this season went over this number. Both teams are trending to the over of late, with the Knicks going over in four straight and six of the last seven while Miami is 4-2 to the over in the last six games. The Heat are 17-19 to the over as the home team and New York is 18-18 to the over on the road. Given the recent production, I’ll take the over in this contest.