Cavaliers vs Heat Odds and Picks

• The Cleveland Cavaliers travel to face the Miami Heat at 8pm ET on Friday, March 11th
• The Cavaliers enter the game at 38-27 overall, while the Heat come in at 44-23 on the year
• See below for the latest Cavaliers vs Heat odds, analysis and the best bet

A showdown between two Eastern Conference playoff teams will take place at 8pm ET on Friday, March 11th when the Cleveland Cavaliers visit the Miami Heat at FTX Arena.

The Cavaliers enter the game at 38-27 on the year and are just 4-6 in their last 10 games, sitting in sixth place in the East. Cleveland most recently took down the Indiana Pacers 127-124 on Tuesday in Indiana.

The Heat come in at 44-23 overall and are 7-3 in their last 10 games to hold a two-game lead atop the East standings. Miami saw a three-game winning streak end on Wednesday after falling to the Phoenix Suns 111-90 in Miami.

Going into the game, the Heat are 5.5-point favorites over the Cavaliers.

Cavaliers vs Heat Odds

Odds as of March 10th from FanDuel

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Cavaliers Betting Outlook

Part of the reason behind Cleveland’s strong play notably over the last few games has been due to the performance of third-year guard Darius Garland, who is averaging career-high marks of 21 points, 8.2 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals a game this season.

Garland’s latest display of dominance came in Tuesday’s win when he dropped a career-high 41 points and 13 assists, headlined by a 21-point fourth quarter to lift the Cavaliers.

Darius Garland was CLUTCH, erupting for 21 points in the fourth-quarter to secure the win for the @cavs while setting a new career-high with 41 points! #LetEmKnow@dariusgarland22: 41 PTS | 5 REB | 13 AST | 2 STL | 4 3PM pic.twitter.com/LUNXAuuvlD

— NBA (@NBA) March 9, 2022

Cleveland will need Garland to put together another career-best-caliber night on Friday in a tough environment in Miami, especially given the fact the Cavaliers are without some other key players with injuries.

Notably, Jarrett Allen (finger) remains out for Cleveland and J.B. Bickerstaff said Wednesday he doesn’t think Allen will return before the end of the regular season. Caris LeVert (foot) and Collin Sexton (knee) remain out as well, meaning Garland’s role will be even larger yet again.

Darius Garland tonight:

41 PTS (career high)
13 AST
5 REB

He joins LeBron as the only Cavs with 40p/10a game since 2010. pic.twitter.com/uAyGaY0qGp

— StatMuse (@statmuse) March 9, 2022

It will be a must for Cleveland to rely on its top-tier defensive while going up against a talented offense in Miami. The Cavaliers hold a defensive rating of 107.6, which ranks fourth in the NBA, compared to the Heat’s offensive rating of 113, which ranks ninth in the league.

Heat Betting Outlook

Miami has been one of the hottest teams in the NBA as of late, resulting in the Heat rocketing to the top of the East standings to hold a two-game lead for the conference’s top spot.

Miami’s loss to Phoenix on Wednesday marked just the third loss in the last 15 games, also breaking a four-game winning streak at home in Miami.

For months, the Heat have been able to get red hot, despite having some injuries to key players on the roster. Those injuries have included the likes of Victor Oladipo, who returned a few games ago after missing 11 months due to a quadriceps injury, along with Duncan Robinson, Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro and others also missing time with injuries.

Victor Oladipo checks in for the first time since April 2021 🙏

(via @MiamiHEAT)pic.twitter.com/ZB4mTWg6mW

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 8, 2022

Although Butler missed Wednesday’s game with an illness, the Heat’s supporting cast has returned for the most part to help establish depth on a team that is already one of the talented squads in the NBA.

The key in Friday’s game will be the status of Butler, who is listed as questionable, and how the latest insertions into the rotation continue to get mixed into the fold. If Miami is able to gel and get those pieces into the fold the rest of the regular season and heading into the playoffs, it will continue to be one of the best teams in the East and could be a serious championship contender.

Cavaliers vs Heat Prediction

Urgency is there for both teams in this matchup, with Miami trying to hang onto the top seed and Cleveland trying to climb in the standings while sitting about a game or two back of the fourth and fifth seeds. If Butler does return for the Heat, Miami should be able to bounce back at home against a Cleveland squad missing some key players.

While placing bets on this game, go with the Heat and the 5.5-point spread currently listed. Miami, which is 39-27-1 against the spread this year, should be able to take the game by more than 5.5 points.

• The Pick: Miami -5.5 (-110)