Miami Heat at New Orleans Pelicans Betting Preview/Prop Pick

The Miami Heat, fresh off of a 21-point win over the Washington Wizards, head out to New Orleans. Tonight, they face off against the Pelicans, the No.10 team in the Western Conference.

Miami sits atop the Eastern Conference with threats on each side; to stay on top, they'll need to keep winning. Can they secure a fourth straight road win over the New Orleans Pelicans today?

The Pelicans have got quite the win streak going of their own, winning four straight. New Orleans has a lot of resilience and hasn't let things like injuries hold them back.

They've had a rough year but still have the No.10 spot in the conference. In order to increase their standing, they'll need to continue putting up wins. A win over the Miami Heat would be huge for them.

Miami Heat: Two significant players are out for tonight's game

One thing that could potentially be devastating for the Heat is the injuries they've suffered. Not only is Tyler Herro on the "day-to-day" list, but two players have been ruled out.

Both Victor Oladipo and Markieff Morris have been listed out as of February 7th. Although they aren't showstopping names like Jimmy Butler, they play a vital role. What can Miami do to fix it?

This is where the stronger defense will help you if you're missing scorers. The good news for Miami is that they have the No.5 defense in the NBA. Allowing only 104.36 points per game, the Heat can limit the open looks the Pelicans get.

It also helps that the Pelicans are terrible at shooting from beyond the arc (32.79%). Forcing them to the perimeter will be a smart move.

New Orleans Pelicans: McCollum listed as "Day-to-Day"

The "day-to-day" designation can mean a couple of things. In the case of CJ McCollum, we think he'll take the court for the Pelicans tonight.

They will, however, be missing Larry Nance Jr., but that shouldn't make much of an impact. The Pelicans have been awful at home this season, going 12-13 this year. Against the spread, they're much better, 27-26-1 over the year.

They come into this game as five-point underdogs, not a large spread, but enough. The Pelicans offense has done better with CJ McCollum running the show.

They also were able to claim a 113-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets. That being said, playing the Miami Heat is something entirely different. The offense of New Orleans doesn't have good enough shooting to keep up. 

Our pick for the Miami Heat at New Orleans Pelicans

Although they have some of the worst shooting in the NBA, we think McCollum will keep this game close. If they can focus on getting the ball to the interior and mid-range, the Pelicans can keep it within five points.

However, if they're forced to the outside and have to shoot from the perimeter, they'll lose this one. It's important that they shut down Jimmy Butler tonight.

Through their last five games, the Pelicans have gone 5-0 against the spread. We're putting a lot of trust in them to cover this game.

We'd also suggest tacking on the under in this game. Especially since the total has gone under in 6 of New Orleans' last seven games against Miami.

DunkelIndex Free Pick: New Orleans Pelicans -5, UNDER

Prop Pick

New Orleans (-115) UNDER 106.5 Points

The Heat are allowing 104.4 points per game on defense, which ranks No. 5 in the league. The Pelicans are averaging 105.9 points per game on offense, which ranks No. 26. Scores have gone UNDER in six of of the last seven contests between the two teams.

With Dunkel predicting a Miami victory by the score of 106-105, take the Pelicans (-115) to finish UNDER their Vegas team total of 106.5 points against the Heat.

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