Both the Miami Heat and the Dallas Mavericks are currently teetering on the edge of the Play-In Tournament line, so expect a playoff atmosphere and intensity when these two teams lock horns this Wednesday.

Catch this game live on Wednesday, May 5, at 8 AM, Manila time

HOME TEAM: Miami Heat (35-30, 19-14 at home)

Projected Starting Five:

  • PG: Kendrick Nunn
  • SG: Duncan Robinson
  • SF: Jimmy Butler
  • PF: Trevor Ariza
  • C: Bam Adebayo

Miami’s racking up wins at just the right time. The Heat continue to float above the Play-In Tournament cutoff line after winning three in a row, the latest was a 121-111 thrashing of the Charlotte Hornets on the road.  

The Heat now return home, having gone 4-1 straight up in their last five games (3-1-1 against the spread).  Jimmy Butler has his team straightened out for the last turn and stretch of this Kentucky Derby of a season. Butler has averaged 23.0 points on 49.3 FG%, 6.6 rebounds, and 6.2 assists over the last five games, and he’ll be charging at a Mavs’ defense that’s allowed its last 10 opponents to make close to 49 FG%. 

He must have also had this game circled on the calendar a long time ago, as he scored just two points on 0-6 shooting in Miami’s 93-83 road loss to the Mavs back in January. Miami is 3-1-1 ATS in its last five games at home.

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ROAD TEAM: Dallas Mavericks (36-28, 19-13 on the road)

Projected Starting Five:

  • PG: Luka Doncic
  • SG: Josh Richardson
  • SF: Dorian Finney-Smith
  • PF: Maxi Kleber
  • C: Dwight Powell

The Mavs’ plans of stretching their win streak to four games were foiled by the Sacramento Kings last Monday, with Dallas losing to their old nemesis, 111-99. at home. Still, the Mavs have done a good job of picking up important wins over the last several games. 

They are 6-2 straight up in their last eight games, with those two losses both coming at the hands of Sacramento. The Mavericks also went 3-3 against the spread in that span, while the totals hit the Over three times in their last four. Dallas will likely not have Kristaps Porzingis for the third game in a row because of right knee soreness and even Maxi Kleber is questionable. 

Luka Doncic will get his numbers with or without those two bigs, so the pressure is on the likes of Josh Richardson, Jalen Brunson, and Dorian Finney-Smith to deliver supplementary goods on offense.  Dallas didn’t need Porzingis, though, when it defeated Miami in the initial meeting.

PREDICTIONS:

Spread:
This will be close until the final minutes of the game, with the Heat executing better in the clutch. Take the Heat to win but the Mavs to cover (+3.5).

Over/Under:
Expect both teams to roll at the same pace they had in the first meeting. Take the Under (214.5).

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