by Chuck Sommers
Saturday, Feb 25, 2023
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Venue: Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC
Where to watch: BSSE-CHA, BSSUN
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Heat -4.5
FanDuel: Heat -4.5
BetMGM: NL
Caesars: Heat -4.5
Season record
Heat: 32-28
Hornets: 18-43
The All-Star break is over in the NBA and it's time to get on the horse and finish up the final home stretch of the season. Big trades, uncertainty, and absolute hilarity across the board all gearing up for the final home stretch of this season. You know who is also gearing up for the home stretch? Our champion handicappers at bigal.com who are ready to win their way all the way to the playoffs. There's a lot going on that we can't wait for in these final 23-25 games and you're going to need every bit of hardcore analysis you can get from this group. Just in the last 30 days we've had some big winners. Doc's Sports has posted a 16-6-0 record in the last month (+$9,200). AAA Sports has killed it at 17-8-0, and then Al McMordie with a dominant 20-11-1 mark over the last 30 days. Everything you need to know and more about what's going on this league and sports in general will be a fun finish to the end. All you have to do is go to bigal.com and find our Best Bets page and put forth something that only you think is good. Here's a hint: Go to the bigal.com website and happy betting!
Heat - Hornets preview, prediction and analysis
Well, we can safely say that this stretch for the Miami Heat is not fun. Not only did they lay an egg in their first game out of the All-Star break, but they lost their third straight game and now have to travel for the second night of a back-to-back against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center on Saturday.
The Heat got absolutely smacked so hard across the face it was like they were in that stupid Slap League. Miami lost 128-99 to the Milwaukee Bucks even with Giannis Antetokounmpo playing a grand total of 6 minutes before leaving with a knee issue. But that didn’t stop the Bucks just absolutely kicking the living hell out of Miami.
The Heat shot 39 percent from the floor and got 41 points from Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo combined, but the Heat shot a whopping 9 of 40 from the 3-point line in one of their more disappointing performances of the season. My god it was bad. When you get blitzed like that without Giannis, you’re in some serious trouble.
“It didn't slow them down one bit when Giannis went out,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “They just put it in overdrive.”
Not sure if that was overdrive or clear throttle, but good lord it almost makes me never want to see the Heat again, or at least for the longest time. Tyler Herro had 14 points and Caleb Martin added 13, but there was nothing else above that. It was just a horrendous performance from the Heat that really didn’t make sense in this lexicon. At least score 100, or try to, with Giannis out.
And of course this would be the time where the Hornets would be the one on the winning streak, trying to push it to four after defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves 121-113 in Minnesota on Friday. They’ll return home, where they won two straight against Atlanta and San Antonio before the break.
LaMelo Ball once again dominated as he tends to do with 32 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists to best the matchup of two of the top three picks in the 2020 NBA Draft; Edwards went No. 1, while Ball went No. 3.
“We’ve got a whole lot of talent on the team. Everybody can score. Everybody can shoot,” said Ball. Edwards had 29 points and eight rebounds, bringing the Wolves to life in the fourth quarter and on the verge of avoiding a second damaging loss to the lottery-bound Hornets.
Gordon Hayward finished with 27 points and 13 rebounds, and P.. Washington had 20 points and eight rebounds to also help the Hornets. But with the back-to-back here, they’re not the only ones on the back end of fatigue here. But the Hornets will be at home and the Heat are just a hot mess right now. If that pun was intended, I hope for my sake it was but it wouldn’t in the majority of your eyes’.
Prediction
With Kyle Lowry still expected to miss time, this has the best chance for Ball to dominate. Hornets 127, Heat 115
Betting trends
Heat are 12-27 ATS as a favorite this season.
Heat are 32-31 ATS as a road favorite the last 3 seasons.
Hornets are 10-17 ATS at home this season.
Projected starting lineup
Heat:
PG: Gabe Vincent
SG: Victor Oladipo
SF: Caleb Martin
PF: Jimmy Butler
C: Bam Adebayo
Hornets:
PG: LaMelo Ball
SG: Terry Rozier
SF: Gordon Hayward
PF: P.J. Washington
C: Mark Williams
Injury report
Heat: Kyle Lowry (knee, out)
Hornets: None
Heat: Kyle Lowry (knee, out)
Hornets: None
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Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
