Cleveland Hosts Miami For Defensive Showdown | Heat vs Cavaliers | OSB
Miami Heat at Cleveland Cavaliers
By Sam Batz
The Miami Heat make their way to Cleveland, Ohio on Tuesday, Jan. 31st to take on the Cavaliers in the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse arena. Miami and Cleveland are two equally matched opponents who both emphasize strong defense over all else. They are separated by just 2.5 games in the Eastern Conference standings, but are the top-two teams when it comes to fewest opponent points per game (Cleveland 106.9; Miami 108.4). Moreover, Cleveland and Miami are both in the top-five for the league’s overall defensive rating, with the Cavs at No. 1 and the Heat at No. 5. If you enjoy defensively oriented games, then this is the perfect matchup.
The Miami Heat are currently the 6th seed in the East with a 28-23 record. They were on a three-game winning streak going into their most recent game with Charlotte, but lost to the Hornets 117-122 on Sunday, snapping the streak. Miami has been playing well recently, going 7-3 in their last 10 games, thanks to a suffocating defense that allowed just 106.0 points per game over that 10 game stretch. On offense, the Heat are led by Jimmy Butler (21.9), Bam Adebayo (21.4), and Tyler Herro (20.3), all of whom are averaging 20+ points per game. Unfortunately, despite their best efforts, Miami’s offense has been stale and ranks at the very bottom in points per game with 108.6. The Heat now face a Cleveland defense who held them to just 87 points in their last matchup.
The Cavaliers are currently the 5th seed in the East, just above the Heat, with a 31-21 record. Cleveland went 5-5 in their last 10 games, but are coming off a 122-99 win over the Los Angeles Clippers at home. The Cavaliers have the most home-wins (21) in the Eastern Conference, as well as the second best win-rate in conference matchups (66.7%) in the East. On offense, Cleveland is led by Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland, who are putting up 27.9 and 21.9 points per game respectively. Jarrett Allen has also made meaningful contributions, recording 14.0 points and 9.6 rebounds per game, on his way to a team-high 19 double-doubles. With no major injuries to any of their key players, Cleveland will like their chances against Miami on Tuesday.
Heat vs. Cavaliers Stat Comparison
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Miami Heat (28-23)
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Cleveland Cavaliers (31-21)
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Heat vs. Cavaliers Odds
Betting odds courtesy of PointsBet:
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Miami Heat |
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Cleveland Cavaliers |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
*Check back later for the latest spread, O/U total, and moneyline odds
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Heat vs. Cavaliers Bettings Trends
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Miami Heat
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Cleveland Cavaliers
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Heat vs. Cavaliers All-Time Series
The Miami Heat and the Cleveland Cavaliers played the first matchup of the series in 1988. Since then, they have played a total of 123 regular season games. Historically, Miami has been the better team, winning 74 games over Clevelands 49. The two sides met back in November, and Cleveland took home the victory, winning 113-87. On Tuesday, Miami will look to redeem themselves as they travel back to Cleveland to face the Cavaliers once again.
Prediction
I’ll take the Cavaliers over the Heat in this matchup. Defense will be the focal point, meaning 1) It will be a low scoring game and 2) The better offense will prevail. Cleveland has a higher ranked offense and defense, thus giving them the edge over Miami. Additionally, the Cavs held the Heat to just 87 points in their last meeting. Miami doesn’t possess the offensive weaponry needed to compete against Cleveland’s top-ranked defense. The Cavs play formidable interior defense, and force their opponents to take low-percentage shots from beyond the arc. Unfortunately for Miami, they don’t shoot well from the three-point line. In fact, the Heat went a woeful 6/31 (19.4%) from three in their last game with Cleveland. I expect the Cavaliers to deploy a similar strategy for their repeat performance against Miami. Cleveland will once again protect their home court and improve to 32-21 on the season.
Prediction: Cleveland Cavaliers Moneyline and the Under.
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