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Miami Heat vs Brooklyn Nets Odds and Picks

Eric Rosales

by Eric Rosales in NBA Basketball

Updated Dec 15, 2022 · 10:04 AM PST

Jimmy Butler screaming out reaction
Oct 21, 2021; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) reacts during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at FTX Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
  • The Miami Heat are in Brooklyn Wednesday to battle the Nets
  • Both teams are coming off wins in their last game
  • The odds and matchups can be found below with a prediction

Two teams expected to be battling for supremacy atop the East tangle Wednesday night at Barclay’s Center, as the Miami Heat visit the Brooklyn Nets.

Both teams are coming off wins last time out. Miami smacked around the Orlando Magic, while the Nets put together a better effort in besting the Washington Wizards.

Brooklyn is a 4.5-point home favorite in this one, which tips off at 7:30pm ET.

Heat vs Nets Odds

Team Moneyline Spread Total
Miami Heat +166 +4.5 (-106) O 217.5 (-112)
Brooklyn Nets -198 -4.5 (-114) U 217.5 (-108)

Odds as of October 26th at FanDuel

Suffocating Heat

It’s early, but the Heat have hung their hat on defense to start the year.

Miami currently boasts the top defensive rating in the NBA, while holding teams to the second-fewest points per game average of 95.7.

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With the additions of Kyle Lowry and PJ Tucker, the Heat have all-defensive team talent at four spots on their starting lineup, and they’re making it hard to get buckets. Teams are shooting just 39.3% from the field, and 27.2% from behind the arc. Those both rank second in the league.

They’ve given up just 100+ points in a game once this year, in a loss to the Pacers that needed overtime. They also crushed the visiting (and depleted) Bucks in their home opener.

Last time out against the Magic, Miami bolted out of the gates with a 27-15 first quarter, cruising to a 107-90 win.

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Hope in Harden

It’s been an uneven start for the Nets this season, alternating wins and losses through their first four games, but it hasn’t been because of Kevin Durant.

The slender, smooth-scoring KD poured in 25 points, to go along with eight rebounds and four assists, as Brooklyn rolled past the Wizards 104-90. Durant is averaging 31 points, a shade under 10 boards and 5.8 assists per game, while shooting 49.5% from the field and 38.4% from deep.

Production is lacking with James Harden, of all places. Against Washington, the Beard put up just 14 points on 5-for-17 shooting, though he did chip in nine assists and six rebounds.

It’s early, but when was the last time you’ve seen Harden tied for 51st in scoring in the NBA? That’s where he sits as he’s averaging 17.3 points per contest, with 8.3 assists and seven boards. It’s now four straight games that he’s scored 20 points or less. To put that into context, he scored 20 or less in three consecutive games once with Brooklyn last year.

While 36.4% shooting from the field and 32.3% from three are shocking splits, perhaps the biggest stat that pops out is his free throw attempts. He’s averaging only three a game this year.

His lowest free-throw attempt output in the last nine years was last season, at 7.3, and includes seven seasons with double-digit attempts, including a high of 11.8 in 2019-20 while with Houston.

How They Stack Up

Perhaps no team other than the Bucks can trouble KD as much as the Heat. PJ Tucker will draw the main assignment, but Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Markieff Morris can all make Durant work for his scores.

No Kyrie Irving is definitely a factor, but in matchups like this, with Harden struggling, a certified bucket-getter would do wonders for Brooklyn. Instead, Steve Nash will play mad scientist, trying to find the right combinations to generate offense and provide resistance against a Heat team that ranks just outside the top 10 in all major offensive categories.

Butler has remained an offensive constant for the Heat, averaging 25.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists. Meanwhile Adebayo looks like he leveled up, looking for his shot and putting up 17.7 points and 14 rebounds to start.

Could this be Kyle Lowry’s first signature performance for Miami? He’s averaged just seven points and seven dimes in four games, while shooting 16.7% from three.

What’s the Best Bet?

These teams have sawed-off their last 10 meetings at five wins a piece, but it’s hard to look at anything from previous seasons, as these iterations of Miami and Brooklyn are so different.

Miami will bring the defensive effort, and a steady diet of Butler-Lowry-Tyler Herro actions with Adebayo should be the formula down the stretch. This one has the makings of the under. Durant’s brilliance keeps this one close, but look for the Heat and those points to prevail.

The Pick: Heat +4.5 (-106)

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