Heat vs. Nuggets Line at Miami -3.5
The Heat vs. Nuggets line for Friday night’s game was steady at -3.5 in favor of Miami. This game was going off January 13, 2012. You can bet it here at Sportsbook.com. Receive up to $250 in FREE CASH when you open an online wagering account today (restrictions do apply).
Sportsbook.com Line & Total: Miami -3.5 & 210.5
Opening Line & Total: Heat -3.5 & 210
The two top scoring teams in the NBA will meet Friday night as the Miami Heat conclude their five-game road swing with a game at Denver.
This is a matchup between two teams with radically different formulas to their winning. The Heat are a team defined by their star-power with LeBron James, Dwyane and Chris Bosh, while the Nuggets have risen to success this year after unloading their star of the past, Carmelo Anthony, and forming one of the deepest teams in the NBA. That team began the season 8-1 ATS, but has slowed down in the past week with two consecutive ATS losses against the Hornets and Nets. The Heat are just 5-6 ATS this season, and 3-11 ATS facing the Nuggets since the 2004-05 season. Most recently the Heat and their top-ranked offense (106.4 PPG) were tamed by the Clippers, who held them to just 89 points on 39.5% FG. The Heat are 0-2 both SU and ATS so far on this west coast trip, and Denver is outscoring opponents by 8.8 PPG in the thin air this season. The Nuggets have been a home underdog only eight times in the past four seasons, but have come through with a 6-2 ATS mark in those games.
James (29.0 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 7.5 APG) has been nearly unstoppable this season, with dominant scoring on a tremendous 57% shooting clip. He has been so efficient because he’s focused his game much more on attacking the basket, rather than settling for jumpers. James has yet to make a three-pointer this season, going 0-for-5. Wade is also scoreless from behind the arc (0-for-3), as he relies on a dribble-and-drive game, giving him 20.5 PPG this season. The key for opponents is to physically contest this duo like the Clippers did, with the pair combining for 13-of-36 shooting (36%) with eight turnovers in that loss. Denver has shown the ability to disrupt opposing backcourts, leading the NBA with 11.2 steals per game, and ranking second in the league (behind Miami) in turnovers forced per game (18.2). Miami turns the ball over 17.9 times per game, which is the most in the league.
The Nuggets are deep, but their depth is being put to the test with injures recently. Three starters -- Ty Lawson (foot), Danilo Gallinari (ankle) and Nene Hilario (heel) -- are all battling injuries, but are all expected to start on Friday. Gallinari (17.2 PPG) leads the team in scoring and has been on fire lately after beginning the season slowly. He’s averaging 22.8 PPG over his past four contests, going 10-of-22 from three-point land. The three wounded warriors comprise half of the six Nuggets who average double-figure scoring (Al Harrington 14.3 PPG, Arron Afflalo 11.9 PPG and Andre Miller 10.0 PPG), explaining how the Nuggets generate the NBA’s second-best offense in both points (103.6 PPG) and shooting (48.7% FG). They also are very unselfish, leading the league in assists (24.1 APG). Receiving points, and against a Heat squad that has struggled on the west coast, play on the Nuggets.
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
