Heat Given Even Odds to Make Playoffs After Magic, Nets, Hornets & Miami Lose Monday Night
- The Miami Heat given even odds of making the NBA playoffs
- The Heat are currently eighth overall in the Eastern Conference standings
- All four contenders for the final two East playoff spots (Heat, Hornets, Magic, Nets) lost Monday
Is Dwyane Wade’s NBA farewell tour with the Miami Heat going to be extended into the postseason? Sportsbooks are not favoring that to be the case.
An updated look at the East after tonight's action.#HEATPlayoffPush pic.twitter.com/cWJ4W6wN4c
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) April 2, 2019
The sportsbook has established the Heat as the third betting choice among the four teams left in the hunt for the final two available Eastern Conference playoff positions.
Odds to Make 2019 NBA Playoffs
| Team | Record (Standings) | Odds to Make Playoffs | Odds to Miss Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miami Heat | 38-39 (8th) | +100 | -140 |
| Brooklyn Nets | 39-39 (7th) | -400 | +140 |
| Orlando Magic | 38-40 (9th) | -400 | +140 |
| Charlotte Hornets | 35-42 (10th) | +2000 | -5000 |
*Odds taken 04/02/19
All-Star guard Wade announced at the start of the 2018-19 campaign that this would be his final season in the NBA.
The Heat is On
Miami completes the back half of a home-and-home by playing host to the Boston Celtics on Tuesday, and the Heat are a hurting lot. Point guard Justice Winslow (thigh) and small forwards Josh Richardson (heel), Derrick Jones Jr (knee) and Rodney McGruder (knee) are out.
Miami beat Boston at the American Airlines Arena 115-99 on January 10th, getting 19 points off the bench from Wade. But the Heat haven’t gone 2-0 at home against the Celtics since 2012-13. At 18-21, Miami is the only NBA team currently holding a playoff spot with a losing record at home.
Everybody Hurts
If you gave a movie title to the chase for those final two Eastern Conference playoff positions it would be The Gang Who Couldn’t Shoot Straight.
Seriously, do any of these teams want to win this race?
All four of them lost on Monday. The Heat fell 110-105 at Boston. The Orlando Magic went down 121-109 at Toronto. The Brooklyn Nets were toppled 131-121 by Milwaukee. The Charlotte Hornets lost 111-102 at Utah.
The sixth-seeded Detroit Pistons have gone 2-4 in their last six games and really haven’t needed to sweat over it.
The @Bucks win in Brooklyn behind @EBled2 (29 PTS) & @Giannis_An34 (28 PTS)! #FearTheDeer pic.twitter.com/ZpSp98iqTo
— NBA (@NBA) April 2, 2019
The Nets are 1-3 in their last four. Charlotte has dropped three in a row. The Magic, who had been on fire, winning six straight, have cooled off and gone 1-2.
Miami is treading water at 3-3 in the last six, and 2-2 in the last four at home.
Who Will Get There?
You have to like the Magic for sure. They close out with home games against the Knicks and Hawks and road games at Boston and Charlotte. Winning three of those isn’t out of the question.
My list of all the times the Charlotte Hornets have let me down pic.twitter.com/OrOoV8RACQ
— Laieke Abebe (@StrikaNation24_) March 30, 2019
The second spot isn’t so easy to decipher. We’ll count the Hornets out. They’re 3.5 games behind, with difficult games left against New Orleans, Toronto, and Detroit.
We’ll count the Hornets out. They’re 3.5 games behind, with difficult games left against New Orleans, Toronto, and Detroit.
That leaves it down to a Heat-Nets debate for no. 8. Both teams face a tough slate ahead. The Nets tackle Toronto and Milwaukee. The Heat get the Celtics, Raptors, and Sixers.
It all comes down to a season-ending Miami at Brooklyn game. The Heat are 9-1 in their last 10 at Brooklyn.
Put your money on the Heat.
Pick: Miami Heat to Make the Playoffs (+100)
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
