The Miami Heat and the Brooklyn Nets meet at the Kaseya Center on Thursday evening, with both sides needing a win to keep pace with the leaders at the top of the Eastern Conference. In our latest NBA betting picks, we look ahead to the match as the Heat (-170) look to extend their winning run against a Nets (+150) team that has had a troubled start to the NBA season.
The Miami Heat are already falling behind the Celtics and the 76ers in the Eastern Conference, and they know they can’t afford another slip after a poor start to the 2023/24 NBA season. The Heat started with a win but then went on an unexpected four-match losing streak. Miami has since ended that losing run and is now on a six-match winning streak.
Standing in their way in the Kaseya Center on Thursday night is a Brooklyn Nets side still reeling from the loss of Ben Simmons, who is set to miss more matches with nerve irritation to his left side. If that wasn’t bad enough, the Nets have also had an inconsistent start to the season that has seen them win six and lose four.
A win in Florida would see the Nets draw level with the Heat. After such a troubled start to the season, that would be regarded as a real boost to head coach Jacque Vaughn in his first full season in charge of the Brooklyn franchise.
Before we get onto the match in more detail, let’s first look at the latest betting to win the Eastern Conference and the 2024 NBA Championship.
The Miami Heat are the fourth favorite to win the Eastern Conference with the best NBA betting sites. Erik Spoelstra’s team is +1200, which puts them way behind the favorites, the Boston Celtics, who are +150. They also trail the Milwaukee Bucks at +175 and the Philadelphia 76ers at +600. The Nets are massive outsiders at +5000.
Moving on, and although it’s still early days, it’s always worth keeping an eye on who the best NBA finals betting sites are favoring to win the 2024 NBA Championship. At this early stage, it’s the Boston Celtics who lead the way at +375.
The Celtics’ closest betting rival is again their Eastern Conference title rivals, the Milwaukee Bucks, who are +450. The Western Conference is represented in the betting by the current NBA champions, the Denver Nuggets, who are third favorites at +475.
Those three franchises seem to be the stand-out sides in the NBA this year. The Phoenix Suns are next in the betting, but are out at +750, way behind the three front runners. The Suns are also way ahead of the chasing pack, with the Golden State Warriors next at +1200 and the Lakers at +1400.
Miami is currently +2500 to win the NBA Championship. The Nets are all the way out at +10000.
The Heat is on a roll, and as a result, they are the -170 favorite to win on the money line. To end Miami’s winning streak, the Brooklyn Nets are +150.
On the handicap spread, the Nets are receiving a 4-point start. To win with the spread, Brooklyn is -110. The Heat are also -110 to win and cover the spread.
In the total points scored market, the bookmakers are saying 217 is the spread. Over and under this amount of points is both -110.
Below we have more options from different sportsbooks on our NBA betting table. You can read more about the bookmakers we have used on our online sportsbook reviews page.
| Miami Heat vs Brooklyn Nets |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miami Heat | -170 | -170 | -170 |
| Brooklyn Nets | +150 | +150 | +150 |
| Heat (+4) | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Blue Devils (-4) | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Over 217 | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Under 217 | -110 | -110 | -110 |
The Boston Celtics top the Eastern Conference with a 9-2 record. Miami is two wins behind the leaders. The Nets are three back. It’s still early days, but if Miami loses this match, they will likely go three wins behind the pacesetters already,
The last four of the Heat’s six-match winning streak have come on the road, and head coach Erik Spoelstra will know that turning the Kaseya Center into a fortress is key if his team is going to challenge again this season.
Ahead of the four-match road trip, Miami recorded home wins over the Wizards (121-114) and the Lakers (108-107). Another win tonight gets that to three in a row at home, and suddenly, a run has started.
Brooklyn has done okay to win their last two games, given that they were without shooting guard Cam Thomas and point guard Ben Simmons for the 124-104 over Orlando Magic. Coupled with their 102-92 win over the Wizards, they are good wins, but nothing exceptional. The wins both came at the Barclays Center as well.
The Nets can’t afford to lose players like Thomas and Simmons, and with them both missing, Jacque Vaughn’s team will be up against it in Florida. For our picks, we are backing Miami to win and cover the spread. We are also going for over 217 points.
Check below for our list of the top sportsbooks where you can wager online:
About the Author
Dean is primarily a fan of English football who regularly attends games, and combining his hobby with his job, he is now a full-time sports betting writer. Rather than going down the educational route into sports journalism, Dean learned his trade by writing for his English football betting website since 2009, where he now boasts nearly 15 years of experience. After writing about football daily for years, Dean has taken the skills he learned and now uses them to great effect writing for numerous affiliate sites across the internet. A general all-around sports enthusiast with a passion for English football and cricket, Dean is also well able to turn his hand to writing about golf, tennis, F1, boxing, snooker, darts, and North American sports. Combining his extensive knowledge and experience with British humor and wit, Dean has developed into a trusted voice within the sports betting industry.
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