Heat visits Bucks in Eastern Conference Showdown
The Miami Heat visits the Milwaukee Bucks in a big NBA Eastern Conference showdown with playoff implications. Milwaukee currently sits in sixth place in the East but only 1 ½ games in front of seventh place Miami. A win by Miami puts them only a half game behind the Bucks.
Miami is currently 32-37 straight up and 32-34-3 against the spread. The Heat is 15-19 on the road this season. Milwaukee is 34-36 SU and 39-30-1 ATS. The Bucks are 19-14 at home. The current line has Miami favored by 1 point with the point total resting on 194.
Milwaukee is in a tailspin. The Bucks have lost six straight, 13 of 16 and are dropping down the standings in the East for the playoffs. Miami is one of the many teams the Bucks are trying to stay ahead of.
However, the Bucks have had Miami’s number this season winning each of the three head-to-head games between the two.
In the first three games between the two this season, Milwaukee has outscored Miami by a 12.7-point average, though it will be tough to win tonight if the team continues to play like they have of late for coach Jason Kidd.
The Bucks are being killed by turnovers. In their most recent loss to Cleveland, the Bucks committed 23 turnovers, of which Cleveland converted to 28 points. Milwaukee turns the ball over almost 17 times per game.
The Bucks also need more from the reserves, who are scoring only 19.7 points per game during their six games losing streak compared to the its season average of 38.2 points per game.
The Heat forced 17.6 turnovers per game over their past six games. Miami had won 3 straight before a loss on Sunday to Oklahoma City 93-75. The Heat missed 15 of their 18 shots from 3-point range and 8 of 15 from the foul line.
Miami has lost four straight and 8 of their past 10 on the road. Miami has not lost five straight on the road since a span of 11 games that went from the 2007-08 season into the 2008-09 season.
The Heat is the second worst team in the NBA at scoring on the road at just 92.5 point per game. Milwaukee is 25-6 in games the team allows 94 points or less.
Dwayne Wade scored just 12 points against the Thunder. However, Wade is scoring at a clip of 26.5 per game over his past eight games played.
Both O.J. Mayo and Jared Dudley have been list as questionable for today’s game.
Prediction: Milwaukee is sputtering by have Miami’s number. I like Milwaukee to cover.
