NBA Betting – Miami Heat at Portland Trail Blazers

Miami Heat at Portland Trail Blazers (-8.5, 197 o/u)

The Miami Heat (15-20) start a five-game road trip tonight with a stiff test against the Portland Trail Blazers (27-8) at the Moda Center (10:30 p.m. Eastern). The Blazers have won eight of their last ten games, while Miami broke a four-game losing streak against Brooklyn on Sunday.

Portland is an 8.5-point favorite thanks to its balanced team and impressive 16-3 home record. The Blazers are near the top of the league both points for (103.9 PPG, sixth in the NBA) and against (97.0 PPG, second in the NBA).  They also dominate the boards (46.6 RPG, first in the league) and move the ball well (22.9 APG, eighth in the league).

Point guard Damian Lillard and power forward LaMarcus Aldridge are Portland’s version of the Dynamic Duo, producing 45.2 points, 15.6 rebounds, and 8.0 assists per game.

On the other side of the floor, the Miami Heat have struggled to find consistency this year as key players (specifically Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade) have battled injuries. Wade  (23 PPG) and Bosh (21.3 PPG) are both healthy at the moment, though, giving the Heat two legitimate options on offense.

After beating Brooklyn last game, Bosh is hoping that Miami can finally string some wins together. (The team hasn’t won two straight since beating the Magic and Hornets on November 22nd and 23rd.)

“I think that’s one of the things we have to overcome, putting stuff together. We can’t just win one,” Bosh said. “Getting two in a row, that’ll be our first challenge. And then we’ll see after that.”

The Heat are undoubtedly a much stronger team when fully healthy, and they should challenge for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. But Portland is a cut above and dominant at home. Expect the Blazers to distance the Heat late.

(Photo credit: Keith Allison (flickr) [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/legalcode]. Photo has been cropped.)