Heat vs. Mavericks Line – Christmas Day Game (2011)
The Heat vs. Mavericks line was at -4.5 in favor of visiting Miami. The spread on this game initially opened at -1 Miami. Sportsbook.com is offering up to $250 in FREE CASH when you join here today. Mention Me, Carrie Stroup, as your promo code.
Sportsbook.com Line & Total: Miami -4.5 & 193.5
Opening Line & Total: Heat -1 & 193
It’s an NBA Finals rematch when the Heat travel to Dallas for a Christmas Day season opener.
It may seem like blasphemy for the Heat to be giving points on the road against the team that just beat them in last year’s NBA Finals. But you have to consider that the Mavs were significantly weakened by the free agent departures of C Tyson Chandler, sparkplug PG J.J. Barea and defensive instigator DeShawn Stevenson, all of whom were key in topping Miami last June. They added some impressive new faces, but there wasn’t much time to gel in a shortened training camp. Miami, meanwhile, returns the core of their 2010-11 team and added SF Shane Battier, one of the NBA’s top role players and a perfect complement to the Big Three.
The Mavs did sweep Miami during the regular season last year, though both games took place before Christmas when the rebuilt Heat were still trying to find their way. The Mavs will obviously rely on the scoring of Dirk Nowitzki (23.0 PPG) and shooting of Jason Terry (15.8 PPG). PG Jason Kidd (8.2 APG) is now 38 years old, and he’s now backed up by the erratic Delonte West (5.6 PPG with Boston) and unproven Roddy Beaubois (8.4 PPG). With Chandler gone, C Brendan Haywood (5.2 RPG) will be asked to protect the basket, though he’s 32 and coming off a major hip injury. Lamar Odom (14.4 PPG, 8.7 RPG with the Lakers), a fine pick-up, and Vince Carter (14.0 PPG with Orlando and Phoenix), who doesn’t have much left in the tank, will be finding their way.
Miami’s Big Three of LeBron James (26.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 7.0 APG), Dwyane Wade (25.5 PPG, 6.4 RPG) and Chris Bosh (18.7 PPG, 8.3 RPG) will have some more reinforcements this year. Battier (7.6 PPG with Houston and Memphis) will be able to take some of the defensive burden away from them. Offensively, he’s made a career of hitting the all-important corner three. They’ll also have the luxury of C Udonis Haslem (8.0 PPG, 8.2 RPG), who played only 13 regular-season games last year, but will be an important low-post complement to Bosh. But the Heat will likely be without three-point specialist Mike Miller (hernia) for at least another month.
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
