The Miami Heat host the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night at the Kaseya Center. Tipoff is set for 7:30PM ET. Miami enters at 35-43 and holds the 10th spot in the East, while Philadelphia is 13th in the standings at 23-55 and out of playoff contention.
This is the fourth meeting of the season between these teams. Miami won the most recent matchup on March 29 by 23 points, 118-95. Tyler Herro led that game with 30 points, while Quentin Grimes had 15 for Philadelphia.
Heat Preview – Miami Looks to Lock In Play-In Spot
Miami has dropped two straight games but won six in a row before that. They lost to Milwaukee in overtime on Saturday, falling short despite 31 points and 12 rebounds from Bam Adebayo. Alec Burks added 24 points, but Miami is still chasing better position in the East play-in standings.
Herro missed the last game with a thigh injury but leads the team with 23.9 points per game. The Heat also rely on Duncan Robinson for outside shooting and Bam Adebayo for scoring and rebounding inside. As a team, Miami ranks seventh in the NBA in points allowed at 109.9 per game.
Miami has been solid at home with an 18-21 record. They’ve covered the first-quarter spread in 30 of their last 45 games and are 37-40-1 against the spread overall. Defense remains a strength, especially in the fourth quarter where they’ve gone under the total in 43 of their last 70 games.
76ers Preview – Grimes Leading a Short-Handed Philly Squad
Philadelphia has lost 11 games in a row. The team is without Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Paul George, and others for the rest of the season. In their latest loss to Minnesota, the Sixers got 28 points from Quentin Grimes and 19 from Guerschon Yabusele, but fell 114-109.
Grimes has scored at least 22 points in 12 of his last 13 games. The former Knicks guard has become the primary option on offense. The Sixers have also leaned on players like Jaylin Buter and Adem Bona as they finish out the season with a patchwork lineup.
Philadelphia is 27-51 against the spread this year and just 11-28 on the road. They have hit the over in 53 of 89 games and in 23 of their last 37 first halves. However, they’ve failed to cover the spread in seven of the last ten meetings with Miami.
Betting Prediction
Miami is a big favorite at -13.5 with a total of 213.5. The Sixers are short-handed and haven’t won a game in weeks. Miami is still pushing for a better play-in spot and should take care of business at home.
Even if Herro remains out, Miami has enough depth and defensive strength to slow down Grimes and the Sixers’ bench unit. A 112-96 win for the Heat is a likely outcome. The under has value with Miami’s pace and defensive effort.
Pick: Miami Heat -13.5 over Philadelphia 76ers
The Heat win easily over Philadelphia in this NBA affair on Monday night. Enjoy the game and good luck!
