The Miami Heat (42-39, 10th in East) take on the Charlotte Hornets (43-38, 9th in East) in the first game of the NBA Play-in Tournament. The winner will take on the loser of the game between the Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers to see who gets into the playoffs.
While these two teams have similar records, one of them has been much better down the stretch. The Hornets are coming into the playoffs in top form, ready to establish themselves as legitimate dark horses.
Keep reading to find out why the Hornets have the edge over the Heat in this NBA Play-in Tournament matchup.
Heat vs Hornets Odds
All NBA odds used for these Heat vs Hornets best bets are current as of Monday, April 13, and courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
- Moneyline: Heat (+180) vs Hornets (-218)
- Spread: Heat +5.5 (-110) vs Hornets -5.5 (-110)
- Over/Under: Over 228.5 (-110) / Under 228.5 (-110)
Heat vs Hornets Prediction
Heat vs Hornets Score Prediction: Hornets 119, Heat 105
Charlotte has been one of the hottest teams in the NBA over the last couple of months. Since January 22, the Hornets are 28-10.
In their last 15 games, the Hornets rank fourth in Offensive Rating and sixth in Defensive Rating. What’s even more impressive is that within this sample, they’re fourth in Net Rating, behind only the Spurs, Thunder, and Pistons.
If we look at what the Heat have done over this period, they’re 20th in Net Rating, ninth in Offensive Rating, and 28th in Defensive Rating. Those defensive struggles could be problematic against the Hornets.
Add in the fact that the Hornets have home-court advantage in this game, and it’s clear that they have a major edge here.
Heat vs Hornets Best Bets
Hornets -5.5 (-110) vs Heat
I’ve already mentioned how the Hornets have been one of the best teams in the NBA for 38 games now.
But what’s even more impressive is how good they’ve been against the spread, consistently beating market expectations. The Hornets went 50-31 against the spread this season, which ranked first in the NBA.
While the Heat have won three of four matchups against the Hornets this year, two of those wins came at the beginning of the year, before Charlotte caught fire.
In the most recent meeting, the Hornets won 136-106. We’re getting a reasonable number at 5.5, so we’ll take the Hornets to win by six or more as one of our NBA best bets today.
Hornets -11.5 (+201) vs Heat
I’m going to double down on my Hornets prediction by taking them on the alternate spread as well.
Charlotte has demonstrated the ability to blow out the opposition, winning 18 games by at least 12 points during this 28-10 stretch.
- Sign up for The Game Day Newsletter to get the latest bet tips and sportsbook promos.
In their last meeting against the Heat, the Hornets won 136-106. I’ll take my chances that they’ll be able to win by 12+ points in this Play-in Tournament matchup.
