The Heat have finally woken up this season. Despite a slow start, they are starting to cook now, winning four games in a row. This has been a great sign, as even Bam Adebayo has burst back into the season looking more like his old self. This team is trending in the right direction, grabbing a massive win over Cleveland last week. They are doing this despite rumors and drama that Jimmy Butler might want to leave the team. However, Jimmy’s agent has contested those claims, so it’s hard to say where the truth lies with Butler’s commitment to this team. Regardless, they have been on a roll and now have a 13-10 record, sitting at 5th in the East.
The matchup tonight should be intriguing. These teams have already met twice, splitting the series so far. With Miami on the upswing and the Pistons stumbling lately, this might be great timing for Miami.
The matchup for Miami looks great. Herro has been excellent this season, shooting the ball exceptionally efficiently. He’s been the motor for this offense all year. Bam, on the other hand, has finally found his footing. He’s rebounded at an elite level but also playmaking exceptionally well. He has been the assist leader on the team in six of the last seven games.
Jimmy has adopted a slightly lesser role on offense this year. His shooting numbers are down, and there is more willingness to let his team take control on that side of the court. It’s probably a good thing to give him more bandwidth to cover the defensive end of the floor.
This matchup looks solid for the Heat. Even though Detroit matches up well with them, Miami is coming into this game with momentum. The team is starting to click, and the veteran talent has been much more consistent lately.
Despite not having a great option to slowdown Cunningham down, the rest of the Detroit roster is inconsistent. If things are dropping for Ivey and Sasser tonight, it could be rough for Miami, but in my opinion, Miami is the safer bet, especially with the money so close.
Despite a lack of wins, Detroit has been a fun team. We’ve seen Cade Cunningham begin to elevate, looking more like the Cade we expected out of the draft. The talent on this team is starting to shine through all together, though. Ron Holland, Marcus Sasser, and Jaden Ivey are all beginning to show flashes. This team should be encouraging for Piston fans who have been stuck in the rebuild cycle since Blake Griffin was on the team.
This team can beat good teams, too, just not consistently. They did score a win against the Knicks last week, but beyond that, wins have been hard to come by. They’re just not top-level in anything right now. They’re middle of the road in defensive efficiency and near the bottom of the league in offensive. Inconsistency makes sense with a roster relying on so much young talent.
That makes them a tricky matchup in tonight's game. They can knock off the Heat again, especially at home. It’s going to take more than just Cade, though. They need one of these younger guys to step up and become the reliable number two option. Ivey looks like the most likely candidate to take over, but game to game, the shooting needs to come along. He quickly goes from shooting 70% from the field to 25% the next night.
With such a young team and how Miami has been playing lately, it’s hard not to like Miami in this matchup, even with Detroit's roster matching up very well against Miami. They don’t have an answer for Cade in the backcourt, with Jalen Duren making things challenging for Bam in the paint.
For the Pistons to have a chance in tonight's game, we must see them at their best. However, it still feels like Miami will have the momentum coming into the game, so I’m picking them to take tonight's game.
Tobais Harris Out
Nikola Jovic Out
Pelle Larsson Out
Josh Richardson Out
Spread: -4.5 MIA (-112) / +4.5 DET (-108)
Total Points: 219
Moneyline: MIA (-185) / DET (+154)
Cade Cunningham 25+ Points (+110)
Jalen Duren 2+ Blocks (+175)
Bam Adebayo Under 11.5 Rebounds (-135)
Tyler Herro 33+ Combined Points + Rebounds + Assists (-110)