Hawks vs Heat Betting Line
Now that the booing in Cleveland has died down, can Lebron James focus on basketball and bring the Miami Heat (12-8) to the next level? If they want to make a run at the 2010-2011 NBA Championship, the Heat will need to start beating the better teams in the league. They’ll have a chance on Saturday night when they host the Atlanta Hawks (12-7) at 7:30 pm ET. The best lines running right now are Hawks +9 at the Players Only Sportsbook, and Heat -8.5 at Bodog. Both of these online sportsbooks accept U.S. customers.
The most underwhelming team so far this season has been the Miami Heat, and for all the Boston Celtics talk with Shaq in green now, the forgotten team is the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks are a force in the Eastern Conference; a team the Heat will need to stop if they want to make the NBA Finals.
Atlanta Hawks vs Miami Heat – Point Spread & Latest Odds
- Atlanta Hawks +9 (-110) at Players Only Sportsbook
- Miami Heat -8.5 (-110) at Bodog Sportsbook
Atlanta is all about balance. Five players score in double figures: Joe Johnson, Al Horford, Josh Smith. Jamal Crawford and Mike Bibby. Marvin Williams gives you another nine points off the bench but it’s got to be done with defense. Atlanta gives up only 97 points a game and will need everything they’ve got to stop the new ‘Big Three’. Atlanta’s weapon is the three as they rank third in the NBA in three pointers per game.
*Check out our homepage for sports betting lines on all major sports.
Summertime dreams with the signing of Chris Bosh & LeBron James added to Dwayne Wade had a lot of sports pundits crowning the Heat as 2010-2011 NBA Champions before the first tip off. But, ya gotta play the games and Miami has been playing poorly much of the season. James bumping heads with coach Erik Spoelstra became a major media issue but was ignored in the locker room. King James is averaging almost 24 points, 6 boards and 7 assists a game. Wade is close behind with 21, 6 and 4 respectively. Chris Bosh is at 18 points and almost 8 rebounds a game. But after the Big Three, you get little or no production. Defensively, the Heat give up just 93.1 per game.
In the NBA it’s about match-ups and the Hawks have balance but lack speed and talent to match- Miami. Add in that Atlanta are playing the second in a back-to-back (Friday vs. 76ers in Atlanta) gives you a fatigue factor plus their poor road record gives Miami the edge.
Heat vs Hawks Free Prediction
I’m not crazy about giving up 8.5 points to Atlanta, but since the game is in Miami, I’ll give it a shot. You can give 8.5 and take Miami at Players Only, or get 9 and the Hawks at Bodog.
*To learn how to turn a small amount of money into a big win, visit our page about parlay betting. It has information on how to make smart parlay bets on NBA basketball, plus odds, and the best sports betting sites for parlay bets.
