The Miami Heat are traveling to Barclays Center tonight to face off against the new-look Brooklyn Nets.
Tonight is a game that may have looked very exciting a few weeks ago, but with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant now off the roster and Tyler Herro dealing with injuries, this game is lacking intrigue.
Tonight could be a pivotal Eastern Conference matchup, as both teams are jockeying for playoff position and looking to avoid the play-in tournament. Expect Spencer Dinwiddie to be the driving force for the Nets tonight if they want to pull out a victory.
Find out your best options with our free NBA betting picks and predictions for the Heat vs. Nets tonight.
Heat vs Nets best odds
Heat vs Nets picks and predictions
The Brooklyn Nets are in the early stages of this sudden rebuild, meaning there’s an adjustment and wait-and-see period. Who will be the leader? Who will take the most shots? Who will take a backseat?
So far, it looks like Cam Thomas is back in a significantly reduced role and Ben Simmons has been removed from the starting lineup. The one player who appears to be taking the baton in the first leg of this race is point guard Spencer Dinwiddie.
Head coach Jacque Vaughn loves Dinwiddie and has complete faith in his ability to lead the offense as a facilitator and scorer. In the three games since re-joining the Nets, Dinwiddie has averaged 16 shots per game.
That’s a 2.9 increase over his 13.1 average with the Dallas Mavericks this season. In his most recent outing, Dinwiddie led the Nets in scoring with 28 points and took 11 more shots than Cam Johnson, who took the second most shots on the team.
The 29-year-old point guard can score the ball. That is evident, and with a Nets team lacking a true star, he will have a ton of opportunities on a nightly basis to lead the offensive attack. In the lone matchup with Miami this season, Dinwiddie scored 19 points on 12 shots. It’s almost a certainty he will get more attempts in tonight’s game.
For tonight, Dinwiddie's scoring total is listed at 18.5 points. That’s a reasonable mark for him, as he’s been scoring a lot of late. He's scored 20+ points in eight of his last 10 games.
Miami typically plays well against opposing point guards, but tonight is more about usage than anything else. Of all rotation players, Dinwiddie is second behind Cam Thomas since coming from the Dallas Mavericks.
Thomas recently went on an impressive 40+ point scoring streak, but has since returned to reality. This will leave Dinwiddie with more pressure and opportunities to do what he does best: get to the basket and cause issues for the opposing defense.
My best bet: Spencer Dinwiddie Over 18.5 points (-106)
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Heat vs Nets spread analysis
The Nets are 2-favorites over the Miami Heat tonight. With Tyler Herro and Kyle Lowry out tonight, it’s a bit surprising that they aren’t more significant underdogs against this new Nets roster with a lot of young talent.
Miami is 15-16 on the season against East opponents and has a disappointing 21-34-7 ATS record overall. For whatever reason, Miami has struggled to cover the spread the entire season.
In the lone matchup between the two teams earlier this season, the Nets won a close 102-101 game in which Kyrie Irving scored 29 points. Irving is no longer with Brooklyn, which will play a role in how this game plays out tonight.
When looking at the trends, this is not playing out in Miami’s favor. The Heat are 0-4 ATS in their last four games after allowing 100+ in their previous game and are 0-5 ATS in their last five games after scoring 100+ in their previous game.
The Nets have capitalized of late, going 4-0 ATS at home against teams with a losing road record. Why should tonight be any different? Playing without Herro is a blow to a Miami team that has dealt with many inconsistencies this season.
The 23-year-old guard averages 20.6 points per game. Without him, the Nets wings, led by Mikal Bridges, will put their energy into slowing down Jimmy Butler. Miami has been an inconsistent mess this season, and the Nets should hang on at home tonight.
Heat vs Nets Over/Under analysis
The Over/Under for tonight can be had anywhere between 211 and 212. The majority of the sportsbooks are currently leaning toward 211.5.
The Nets hit the Over in five of their last six games following a defeat. They're also 5-1 in their last six games when their opponent scores 100+ in their previous game.
The Nets did lose Irving, who handled a great deal of the offensive load while Durant was gone, but they gained several players who can put the ball in the basket. Outside of even Dinwiddie, Bridges and Cam Johnson are both very capable scorers who can easily score 20+ points.
Both teams could use this win tonight, and the trends tell us we could see a relatively high-scoring game that goes Over the total.
Heat vs Nets betting trend to know
Heat are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game. Find more NBA betting trends for Heat vs. Nets.
Heat vs Nets game info
| Location: | Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY |
| Date: | Wednesday, February 15, 2023 |
| Tip-off: | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV: | Bally Sports Sun, YES |
