Heat Hot Streak to Continue

The Miami Heat welcome the Washington Wizards on Tuesday and it’s an important game in the Southeast Division.

Miami has a 3½-game lead over the second-place Wizards in the division, so it could get some breathing room. However, the Wizards are always a dangerous team to face.

NBA betting odds have the Heat at -6½.

• • Game: Washington Wizards (17-16) at Miami Heat (21-13)
  • Location: FTX Arena
  • Day/Time: Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. ET

Washington Wizards vs Miami Heat Betting Prediction

Wizards Missing Beal

Consecutive wins over the Utah Jazz and New York Knicks bode well for the Washington Wizards, but it’s about to get harder.

They weren’t able to follow those wins up with much against the Philadelphia 76ers in a 117-96 loss, and having the likes of Bradley Beal, Rui Hachimura and Aaron Holiday on the sidelines doesn’t help.

All hands on deck are needed for the Wizards to be competitive in the Eastern Conference, so having Beal sitting out makes it tough offensively.

The Wizards have failed to cover the spread in eight of their last 10 games, so bettors haven’t been cashing in with the visitors.

Betting online markets are giving the Wizards respect at +6½, but we think they’ll need to produce their best basketball just to cover the line.

Miami isn’t at full strength either, but the Wizards lost 112-97 in the first meeting at FTX Arena, so that’s 15 points they need to find from somewhere.

Washington did, however, win the return game at home 103-100. That should give the Wizards some confidence, but for the NBA’s 23rd-best offense playing without Beal, they’ll need their role players to play a big part.

Heat Catching Fire

Defense has been the key for the Miami Heat, who improved to 21-13 with a 93-83 win over the Orlando Magic.

Ranked third best in the NBA, the Heat defense is forcing their opposition into taking bad shots. They limited Orlando to only 83 points, Indiana to 96 and Detroit to 100. It’s top-level defense, so they shouldn’t be too worried about the Wizards.

Bettors have had a good time betting on the Heat, who are 19-15 ATS. However, after consecutive spread defeats, they’ll be keen to cover the sportsbook number.

Stepping up against Orlando was Omer Yurtseven, who made his first start on Sunday. He scored 16 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, so the future is bright for the temporary replacement for Bam Adebayo and Dewayne Dedmon.

“You’re seeing the skill level that he has,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told ESPN.

Having Jimmy Butler on the team is another bonus for the Heat. The elite scorer and defensive small forward can do everything, so his experience makes them tough to beat.

Miami has limited Washington to 100 points per game in the previous two meetings. Anything close to that mark should see the Heat covering the spread with something in hand.

Turn Up the Heat

The Wizards are too inconsistent for our liking and their 9-11 road record isn’t ideal. Therefore, we’re taking the Heat to win and cover the spread.

The Heat have the experienced players to easily handle Washington, which will desperately miss its star players.

We think NBA betting markets will move the line closer to game time, so it could be smart to lock in the -6½ before it gets any bigger.

Miami wants to establish a sizable advantage over the Wizards in its division and winning on Tuesday would achieve that.

Pick: Miami Heat -6½