Two Eastern Conference big hitters meet for the second time in three days, as the Miami Heat and the Washington Wizards face off Sunday morning. Will the Heat go 2-0 agains the Wizards this season? Or, will the Wizards level things between them and Miami?
Catch this game live on Sunday, November 21, at 8 AM, Manila time
Away: Miami Heat (11-5/5-4 on the road)
Projected Starting Five:
- PG: Kyle Lowry
- SG: Duncan Robinson
- SF: Jimmy Butler
- PF: PJ Tucker
- C: Bam Adebayo (questionable)
The Heat drew first blood in this back-to-back set against Washington, as Jimmy Butler and company scored a 112-97 win at home versus the Wizards on Friday. That victory also extended the Heat’s win streak to four games, further distancing themselves away from a three-game losing skid they suffered earlier this month. The return of Jimmy Butler from an ankle injury has clearly given Miami a tremendous boost.
The two-way forward dropped 32 points to go with five assists and four steals in 34 minutes of action in the win over Washington. The Wizards boast of a top-10 defense, but Miami still scored above its season average (110.4) against Washington and shot 50 FG%. Bam Adebayo provided a great stat line of 20 points and nine rebounds versus the Wizards but is questionable for Sunday’s rematch due to a left knee bruise. Meanwhile, Tyler Herro, who missed Friday’s game with a wrist issue, is also currently listed as questionable. Miami is 5-0 ATS in its last five games overall.
Home: Washington Wizards (10-5/6-1 at home)
Projected Starting Five:
- PG: Spencer Dinwiddie
- SG: Bradley Beal
- SF: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
- PF: Kyle Kuzma
- C: Daniel Gafford (questionable)
The Wizards couldn’t get their magic going for the second game in a row, as they lost the aforementioned matchup with Miami. Prior to that, Washington absorbed a 97-87 road loss to the Charlotte Hornets Thursday. Despite the loss to the Heat, Bradley Beal shined for the Wizards with 30 points on 11-of-18 shooting from the field, while Kyle Kuzma had a double-double of 19 points and 13 rebounds. Perhaps the biggest reason for Washington’s loss to the Heat was the Wizards’ inability to take care of the leather. They committed 17 turnovers which Miami converted into 20 points.
Miami was hot from deep, though, going 15-of-36 on 3-point attempts (41.7%). Spencer Dinwiddie missed the first meeting with the Heat for rest purposes, and could potentially return to action this Sunday. His presence will be a big plus for Washington, as he’s a better option on offense and a more reliable ball-handler than Raul Beto and Aaron Holiday, who combined for four turnovers against the Heat. Washington is 4-0 ATS in its last four games as the home underdog.
PREDICTIONS:
Spread: Washington isn’t turning the ball 17 times again in this matchup. The Wizards are also 3-0 ATS this season as a home underdog. I think that the Wizards will cover (+2).
Over/Under: Washington’s defense should wake up and that should impact the total just enough for an Under (210.0) finish.
