Old Rivalries, New Faces
The Miami Heat and New York Knicks will meet for the second time within a week on Wednesday. Over NBA history, they have had a heated rivalry, but that has diminished with the Knicks falling off over the last few seasons. With New York seemingly securing the fifth seed, Miami still has not finalized its NBA playoff odds, but it will be involved, at least making it through the Play-In.
The Heat are playing the second game of a back-to-back, losing to the Toronto Raptors 106-92, despite 33 points from Tyler Hero. The Knicks blew out the Houston Rockets 137-115 on Monday, getting 40 points from Immanuel Quickley, who had a spot start.
Heat Should Avoid Play-In
The Heat has secured a spot in the Eastern Conference postseason, but it is unclear if they will make the playoffs or Play-In. They are a half-game behind the Brooklyn Nets, a team the Heat just lost to, for the sixth seed and an automatic playoff spot.
Best OVER teams this NBA season:
Thunder 43-32
Jazz 42-31-2
Warriors 43-32-2
Spurs 42-32-1
Hawks 42-33Best UNDER teams:
Hornets 44-32
Bulls 42-33
Grizzlies 40-33-1
Nets 40-34-1
Heat 40-35Data per @Bet_Labs
— John Ewing 🦁 (@johnewing) March 28, 2023
Unless you are taking the under or the Heat not covering, Miami has been pretty bad for sports betting. The Heat have the worst cover percentage at 37% and are among the best teams to hit the under.
A lack of consistency on the court makes them successful in that type of NBA picks. While the defense has been stable for most of the season, it has struggled recently. On the other hand, the offense has been an issue but is now finding itself.
The Heat only have six games left, with much to figure out. They have to make it out of the Play-In because, in a single-game elimination, there is no telling which Heat team shows up.
Knicks Have Fifth Seed Locked Up
The Knicks, for the most part, have the fifth seed locked up. They only have six games left and are five back from the Cleveland Cavaliers for the fourth seed. But, the main threat to New York’s position could be from the teams below them. The Nets are only 2½ games behind in sixth place.
With the number of games left, it does seem like the Knicks should be able to hold on. Before beating the Rockets, New York had lost three straight. Part of those struggles has been point guard Jalen Brunson dealing with injuries, playing in only four of the last 11 games.
Brunson has been a big part of the Knicks making NBA news and becoming a legit playoff team. In 2023 he is averaging 27.7 points and 5.7 assists.
Immanuel Quickley tonight
40 Points (14/17 FG)
9 Assists
2 Rebounds
5/7 3PIn under 30 minutes. 6MOY. pic.twitter.com/VO1xGzQiyj
— KnicksMuse (@KnicksMuse) March 28, 2023
Against the Rockets, Immanuel Quickley started for Brunson and played well, scoring 40 points with nine assists. He has been a crucial part of the team, becoming one of the best bench players in the league. Six Man of the Year NBA lines sees Quickley as the favorite.
Heat vs Knicks Game Injuries
Heat vs Knicks Head-to-Head
The first three games between the Heat and Knicks this season have been extremely competitive. The Knicks won the first two by two points, but the Heat won the last game on March 22, 127-120.
Heat vs Knicks Game Information
- Game: Heat (40-36) vs Knicks (43-33)
- Location: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
- Day/Time: Wednesday, March 29, 7:30 p.m. EST
- Heat vs Knicks Live stream: NBA Game Pass
Heat vs Knicks Betting Lines
Heat vs Knicks Picks and Prediction
This matchup should be close, the same as the three previous games between these teams. Brunson is still questionable, which could affect the line, despite Quickley playing well. However, the Heat are still inconsistent and have yet to show they are a real playoff contender.
The way the Knicks are playing, with the threat of Brunson possibly returning, shifts this game in the Knicks’ favor. It still should be close, but likely they should win by enough to cover the spread.
The New York Knicks are listed at -200 in our Vegas NBA odds. This means that if you wager $100 on the Knicks, you have a chance to win $50. The Miami Heat is +170, offering a chance to win $170 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives the New York Knicks a 66.67% chance to win, with the Miami Heat at 37.04%.
Heat vs Knicks Trends
Heat vs Knicks Edge
Heat vs Knicks Results
Heat vs Knicks Game Summary
Knicks vs Heat Previous Game (Mar 22, 2023)
With the NBA regular season winding down, with every team having roughly around 10 games left, playoff seeding is important. The New York Knicks and Miami Heat have sealed their NBA odds and will play on Wednesday. However, while the Knicks are fifth with an automatic playoff spot, the Heat are at the top of the play-in.
The Knicks lost a heartbreaker facing the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday. Julius Randle made NBA news by scoring 57 points, but New York lost 140-134. The Heat beat the Detroit Pistons 112-110 on Sunday, still trying to push up the standings.
Given how close the first two games have gone this season, expect the same this time the Knicks face the Heat. That makes it a challenging game to include in your NBA picks, with the game seemingly being evenly matched.
The Knicks have the advantage of being better on the road and off a tough loss they should have won. The sportsbook may favor the Heat again, given their improved offense, but the lack of defense is concerning.
