NBA Basketball Matchup: Miami Heat vs. Atlanta Hawks
8:00 PM EST on TNT
NBA Gambling Odds from BetOnline
NBA Betting Favorite: Heat -2
Over/Under: 189
Miami blew out Indiana last night, but LeBron James turned his ankle and is listed as questionable for tonight’s game in Atlanta. Dwyane Wade continues to have foot problems, and he is also questionable for this matchup. The Hawks beat the Heat earlier this week to give Miami its first loss of the season. Will Miami get revenge in Atlanta or will the Hawks take a second straight game from the Heat?
The Heat have really improved their offense so far this year. At times last season it appeared the team was out of sync offensively, but they seem to have much better chemistry on the offensive end so far this year. Miami leads the NBA in both points per game and field goal percentage offense. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade have made it clear they are going to be more aggressive and stop settling for three-pointers this year, and I think that is a huge help to this team. A healthy Udonis Haslem is a big plus for this team as well. He leads the team with ten rebounds. Chris Bosh will need to step up his game tonight with James and Wade hurting.
Atlanta’s nucleus looks quite similar to what it has the last few years. Joe Johnson, Al Horford, and Josh Smith are all see as team leaders. Jamal Crawford left the team in the offseason, but Tracy McGrady is doing surprisingly well in his role with the team. McGrady has given this team a nice offensive spark. He is shooting 51.2% from the floor in six games this season. Atlanta is 4-2 primarily because they are only giving up 85.7 points per game. The Hawks forced 16 turnovers in their win over Miami earlier this week.
It seems like the Hawks aren’t getting much respect from the oddsmakers in this one. Miami has two stars that might not even play and they are still favored by two. I’ll take the Hawks in this one.
Prediction: Atlanta 95 Miami 94
