Miami Heat (3-4) vs. Denver Nuggets (5-3)
November 8, 2024 9:00 pm EDT
The Line: Denver Nuggets -4.5; Over/Under: +218.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The Miami Heat pay a visit to the Denver Nuggets at the Ball Arena on Friday night. Here’s a Denver Nuggets vs Miami Heat Prediction. This article will include a Denver Nuggets vs Miami Heat Pick.
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat have been in a rut as they’ve lost three of their past four games overall and they will be hoping to bounce back after falling just short to the Suns in a 115-112 road defeat on Wednesday. Tyler Herro led the team with 28 points and six assists on nine of 15 shooting, Haywood Highsmith added 19 points off the bench, Jimmy Butler scored 15 points while Bam Adebayo chipped in with 12 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and five steals. As a team, the Heat shot just 43 percent from the field and 13 of 34 from the 3-point line as they poured in 33 points in the second quarter to build a 15-point lead, only to get run down in the fourth quarter where the Suns poured in 31 points. Bam Adebayo had a rough shooting night as he shot just five of 21 from the field while Terry Rozier shot just two of 10 from the field and one of seven from the 3-point line to finish with seven points.
Denver Nuggets
Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets have been in great form as they’ve won five of their last six games overall and they will be gunning for a fourth straight victory after outlasting the Thunder in a thrilling 124-122 home win on Wednesday. Russell Westbrook led the team in scoring with 29 points and six assists on 10 of 15 shooting, Michael Porter Jr added 24 points while Nikola Jokic tallied a triple-double of 23 points with 20 rebounds and 16 assists. As a team, the Nuggets shot 47 percent from the field and 16 of 38 from the 3-point line as they got off to a slow start and looked in trouble when they trailed by 16 points, but they chipped away at the deficit and used a pivotal 11-2 run late in the fourth quarter to come away with the impressive comeback win at home.
Why the Miami Heat will win
- The Heat have won three of their last four games as underdogs following a road loss.
- The road team has covered the spread in each of the last six games between the Heat and Nuggets.
- The Nuggets have failed to cover the spread in each of their last six games as home favorites following a home win.
Total Points Facts
- Each of the Nuggets’ last six games have gone OVER the total points line.
- Each of the Heat’s last six road games against Northwest Division opponents have gone UNDER the total points line.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Nuggets rank 30th in the league for opponent assists per game this season (30.6).
- The Nuggets rank 30th in the league for opponent blocks per game this season (7.1).
- The Heat rank 1st in the league for turnovers per game this season (11.7).
- The Heat rank 30th in the league for Q3 points per game this season (22.9).
Denver Nuggets vs Miami Heat Prediction
The Heat are still shorthanded with Kevin Love ruled out and Jaime Jacquez Jr listed as questionable, while the Nuggets are still missing Aaron Gordon with Jamal Murray listed as questionable. The Heat could do with a win to get their season on track as they’ve been well below their best lately, but the Nuggets have quietly been playing excellent basketball lately and are fresh off giving the Thunder their first defeat of the season. This one could go either way, but I am slightly more comfortable going with the Nuggets to cover the short line at home.
