Miami Heat vs. Dallas Mavericks: Prediction, Preview, Picks & Odds - 1/20/2023

Time: 7:30 p.m. ET

Venue: American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX

Where to watch: ESPN

DraftKings: Heat -1.5

FanDuel: Heat -1.5

BetMGM: Heat -1.5

Caesars: Heat -1.5

Heat: 25-21

Mavs: 24-22

The Miami Heat will be playing the Dallas Mavericks on Friday, January 19 in Dallas, Texas. 

The Miami Heat won against the New Orleans Pelicans last Wednesday, January 18 in New Orleans, Louisiana with a score of 124-98. The Miami Heat currently rank 1st in the Southeast Division.  Bam Adebayo scored 26 points, Jimmy Butler added 18 points and Gabe Vincent hit four 3-pointers as part of a 16-point night for the Heat.

“We played great basketball for the entire game,” said Adebayo, who made 11 of 15 shots in about 30 minutes on the court.

“We're always trying to get each other going and you love to have teammates like that," Adebayo added. “I'm just getting to my spots. Guys want me to be assertive, want me to be aggressive.”

The Heat outscored New Orleans 64-48 in the paint and outrebounded the Pelicans 43-37, and that dominance inside had a lot to do with Adebayo's play, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.

“We ultimately want to get Bam involved as much as possible. We can’t get the ball to him enough," Spoelstra said. "He’s great at getting all the way to the rim and he was doing that tonight.”

This run of four wins in five games is absolutely what the doctor ordered for the Heat. Overall, they’ve won seven of their last 10, but the health is finally starting to show in Miami with Butler and Adebayo, to name a couple, back and playing at a high level. When those two are locked in on both sides of the court, it’s really hard to knock this team off when they’re that dialed in.

The Dallas Mavericks lost against the Atlanta Hawks last Wednesday, January 18 in Dallas, Texas with a score of 130-122. The Dallas Mavericks currently rank 3rd in the Southwest Division. Doncic scored 30 points but had just three in the fourth quarter. 

“It’s a shootaround,” Mavs coach Jason Kidd said. “In this league, you do that, no matter if you have Luka or Kareem or LeBron, you’re going to lose.

“Until we put in a better effort into defense and understanding what we have to do, then we’re going to score 120 but we’re going to give 130, 140. One night we might give up 150.”

Christian Wood had 22 points and nine rebounds for the Mavericks.

We’ve talked before about trusting the Mavs, and I was doing so for a while, likely because I chose not to give them that analysis needed of saying they were going to win. But three straight losses and giving up 130 points in each of those games is highly uncharacteristic, even for a Jason Kidd coached team. I’m telling you this, though: Mark Cuban shot down the ESPN report that Doncic has gone to the front office to discuss moves need to be made, but if this keeps up, if he hasn’t done it yet, it’s going to happen soon.

"If it's with this personnel, then you've got to keep asking or demanding for those guys to play defense," Kidd said when asked about potential solutions for Dallas' defensive woes. "It's not just the offensive end. Tonight, we gave up 130 points and a team shot 57 percent. It's a shootaround. In this league, if you do that, no matter if you have Luka or Kareem or LeBron, you're going to lose. It doesn't matter how many points you score, you're always going to be short.

Until Dallas gets this figured out, choosing against them is the right call. Miami is too good to allow a team with struggling woes to figure things out. It might be a long night. Heat 125, Mavs 117

Heat are 21-9 ATS on the road after 2 straight covers the last 3 seasons.

Heat are 42-29 ATS after playing a road game the last 2 seasons.

Mavs are 35-23 ATS after a loss the last 2 seasons.

PG: Kyle Lowry

SG: Tyler Herro

SF: Caleb Martin

PF: Jimmy Butler

C: Bam Adebayo

PG: Luka Doncic

SG: Spencer Dinwiddie

SF: Reggie Bullock

PF: Dorian Finney-Smith

C: Dwight Powell