by Charles Jay, TotalActionExtra
Pacers are Cooking With Crisco at Home
The Indiana Pacers are one of the best home teams in the NBA. They are going to try to use that force to upend the defending champion Miami Heat when the teams meet in the Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Friday night. NBA Basketball Miami Heat (29-13 SU, 21-21 ATS) at Indiana Pacers (27-19 SU, 24-22 ATS) Friday, February 1 – 7:05 PM ET Bankers Life Fieldhouse Indianapolis, IN In the odds on this game that have been posted at BetAnySports, the Heat is laying a bucket on the road:BetAnySports Odds
Miami Heat -2 Indiana Pacers +2 Over 184 Points -110 Under 184 Points -110 Heat wins game -130 Pacers win game +110Heat Look to Give Pacers Trouble
The Heat have shot 49% on the season. That figure dips slightly to 47% when the team travels. Miami has been a hot-shooting club, hitting over 50% from the field in five of its last eight games. On the road they have not been that outstanding (9-12 ATS), but they have covered four of their last six as the visitor. Something that has been unusual for the Heat is that they have been out-rebounding opponents lately. To the tune of a +42 margin in the last four contests is cause for worry. Indiana has shot only 42.6% on the season. Under Frank Vogel this team has been the toughest to shoot against in the league, statistically speaking. The Pacers have allowed 41.9% shooting from the field overall. It is a low 32.6% from beyond the arc. They also take care of the ball like few teams in the league. The Pacers are only turning it over just 12.8 times a contest.Pacers Are Hot as Fire at Home
The Pacers are +125 to win the Central Division in the NBA futures at BetAnySports. They are a red-hot team at home, having won twelve games in a row. This appearance is fresh too, as they have played only two home games since January 12. Danny Granger, the team’s All-Star, has been out for the year. Much of the slack has been picked up by Paul George, who’s averaged 17.4 points a game. George was just named to the Eastern Conference All-Star squad. With David West (16.7 ppg), George Hill (14.6 ppg), Roy Hibbert (10 ppg), there is scoring balance.This Is a Pretty Even Matchup
In the season’s first meeting the Pacers won an 87-77 decision. They won despite shooting just 36% from the field. The edge they had was in pulling down 22 offensive rebounds. That made up for a lot of those misses. That was part of a 66-44 edge in that department. Maybe that wasn’t so surprising, since the Heat is one of the least efficient rebounding clubs in the league while Indiana is one of the most efficient. These teams met up in the Eastern Conference playoffs last season. The Heat won that series in six games after falling behind two games to one. Indiana has not been a money-making proposition when they are getting points. They have covered in only seven of 20 games as an underdog this season. Miami has failed to cover in four of five situations this season when laying three points or less on the road. For the best in NBA wagering, go to BetAnySports, and for some basketball winners, it’s TotalActionExtra