NBA: Brooklyn Nets VS Miami Heat Pick and Predictions 01/08/2023

Game: 6:10 PM ET,  Sunday, January 8th, 2023

Venue: FTX Arena, Miami, Florida

TV:  NBA League Pass

Nets: 26-13, 2nd place Eastern Conference

Heat: 21-19, 8th place Eastern Conference

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  Nets -3.5, O/U 222.5

PointsBet: Point Spread: Nets -3.5, O/U 223

Fanduel: Point Spread: Nets -3.5, O/U 222

Nets: PF Royce O’Neale, SF Kevin Durant, C Nic Claxton, SG Ben Simmons, PG Kyrie Irving

Heat: SF Jimmy Butler, PF Haywood Highsmith, C Bam Adebayo, PG Kyle Lowry, SG Max Strus

An Eastern Conference NBA battle between a team that is rising against a team that has fallen.  The Brooklyn Nets had a 12 game winning streak going… the longest of any team in the NBA.. before it was broken.  They won their last game so it is back on.  That win streak brought the Nets from out of the picture to 2nd place in the East (briefly 1st place).  The Nets have everything they need to be contenders in the East… Kevin Dyrant, Kevin Durant, and Kevin Durant.  The guy is that good.  He also has teammates and those teammates will determine whether or not the team is worth a Finals prediction a couple of months from now… Though the Nets would have to have their heads examined if they don’t trade Kyrie at the deadline?... The guy will sink the ship eventually and everyone knows it.. So trade him before you have to sign him,,, get anything you can.  The Heat were in the Finals very recently (2020) and have gotten used to contending.  They aren't that team anymore.  SF Jimmy Butler has for a long time been the best 2-way player in the league and a constant dark horse MVp candidate.  This year he is good but smaller. C Bam Adebayo could be the centerpiece of the team… IF you want a team that will lose as often as they win.  This Heat team needs a rebuild.  Still the Heat have a good enough roster to compete.  The great betting opportunity here will entirely depend on the point spread.  Let’s check the numbers and make a prediction that holds against the spread.

The Brooklyn Nets won their last game against the New Orleans Pelicans, who are yet again missing Zion Williamson, 108-102. In the win SF Kevin Durant had 33 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists.  He was supported perfectly by his mismatched guards… PG Kyrie Irving had 19 points, 5 renounds, and 5 assists.. While the SG who won’t shoot, Ben Simmons, had 6 points, 6 rebounds and 10 assists.  Ben Simmons is a tragic basketball figure because of his outright fear of offense and shooting and being in the limelight… but if you ignore him he will play good defense while dishing double digit assists. In fact, if the team traded Kyrie Irving?… they could conceivably play better with Ben Simmons at the PG position… but they would need a big time scorer back in return for Kyrie… and no one would give them that.

The Miami Heat have won 6 of their last ten games… but the losses are embarrassing.  The Lakers, The Bulls, The Pacers… all teams that are supposed to be way beneath the Heat.  The Heat won their last game over the Phoenix Suns 104-96.  In the win (Suns Devin Booker was out) Miami got 21 points and 11 rebounds from C Bam Adebayo, 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists from SF Jimmy Butler, and 26 points from the slowly resurrecting SG Victor Oladipo in only 34 minutes of play.  The Heat have a lot of talent, but that talent is mismatched and rapidly aging.  

Asa Inc is 17-8 in NBA picks the last 7 days for a profit of $8,050!! You should be following a handicapper all season long! Get Asa Inc’s picks right now at the Shop Picks page, where you can find all of the Best Bets from our champion sports handicappers. BigAl.com can help you with all your bets from NCAAF, NFL, MLB, NHL… get positive value from all your bets! Remember: winning a bet is way more fun than making a bet!

 

BK: 26-13, 19-18-2 ATS, 17-22 O/U, 13-8 on the road.

MIA: 21-19, 15-23-2 ATS, 19-21 O/U, 11-8 in home games.

The Nets are 13th in scoring with 114.9 points per game, 28th in rebounds with 40.5 per game, 6th in AST/To ratio with 1.8, and 1st in blocks per game with 6.9.

The Heat are 30th in scoring with 108.9 points per game, 27th in rebounds with 40.6 per game, 10th in AST/TO ratio with 1.8, and 30th in blocks per game with 3.1.

Our prediction for Sunday, January 8th is…. Nets 122 - 111

Bet on the Nets.  The Heat do not have the offense to keep up with the Nets.  They can not rely on Victor Oladipo to keep bringing it when he has only brought it 1 out of every 10 games since his injury two seasons ago.  

Don't miss our champion handicappers' Free NBA Picks and Premium Selections every day here at Bigal.com. Just click on Shop Picks for our Nets/Heat Best Bets, or click on Shop Subscriptions to join for a week or a month. And if you enjoyed this  preview, be sure to bookmark Bigal.com for our daily Game Previews and Predictions.  Get help with all your college football picks, National Football league, NCAA brackets, or any prop bets on your season schedule. 

The Nets are 57-46 ATS in road games the last 3 seasons.

The Heat are 1-4 ATS versus Atlantic division opponents.

Nets: PG Kyrie Irving.  Kyrie is a top-three PG in this league all the time.  He shoots, he drives, he can facilitate… There is nothing wrong with Kyrie’s game.  His team destroying attitude can and will kill entire franchises. So watch him now while he is on his best behavior.

Heat: C Bam Adebayo. Bam can score and get rebounds… he can get big numbers on almost any night.  A little undersized, he tends to struggle against the elite like Jokic, Embiid, Giannis, etc… but against Nic Claxton?... he could have a very big night.

Nets: Jacque “Sometimes Kyrie lets me speak” Vaughn 

Heat: Erik “Check my rings” Spoelstra