Thursday NBA: Mims previews the prime-time Heat vs Pelicans matchup on TNT

The Miami Heat and the New Orleans Pelicans meet tonight in a prime time telecast. The game will start at 8:30 PM.

Injuries: Bam Adebayo is listed as day-to-day. Jimmy Butler is questionable with a knee inflammation. Butler has missed the last two games. No notable player listed by the Pelicans.

The Trends: Heat have won 6 of their last 10 games and have a one-game winning streak. Pelicans are 4-6 over their last 10 games. Pelicans lost last night to the Bulls 128 -124 at home. Heat is 6-1 against the spread in the last 7 games. Pelicans are 0-4 in their last 4 games as a favorite.

The Numbers: Pelicans are favored by 4 and the total is 224.5. The money line for the game is Pelicans -165 and the Heat +138.

The Prop Bets: Zion Williamson over 26.5 points. Zion has scored over 25 points in 8 of his last 10 games. He returns to the court after last night’s lost to work on his shooting. The under is priced at -106 and the over is set at -116. Zion goes over. Steven Adams over 8 rebounds. The price is -158. Three of his last 5 games have exceeded that number. Adams got 11 against Utah and 13 against the Bucks Both of those teams shoot multiple shots from distance. The Heat are similar. Adams will go over. In head-to-head match ups, the last 5 games have gone under.

The Money: 53% of the wagers are on the Pelicans. Most of the early money is on the Heat with 80% going that way.

The Pick: Without knowing the status of Jimmy Butler, it is hard to back the Heat. The trend said the game is an under. I will lean toward that. If Butler and Bam play look for Miami to play better after an uninspired performance against the Hawks. Check for their status after 6 pm.

Enjoy the game. Follow me Twitter on and we can share halftime thoughts.