Indiana Pacers vs Miami Heat Betting Pick & Prediction 1/2/25

At 7:30 ET, the Pacers (+101) will take on the Heat (-121) in Miami. The Pacers are 16-18 and currently sit 8th in the Eastern Conference. The Heat are 17-14 and have won two straight games. The over/under line for this matchup is 224.5 points.

This Eastern Conference matchup will be played at the Kaseya Center in Miami. The Heat (-1.5) are favored over the Pacers (+1.5). Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 ET and the game can be seen on FDSS.

INDIANA PACERS VS MIAMI HEAT BETTING PICK

The Pick: Miami Heat -1.5

This game will be played at Kaseya Center at 7:30 ET on Thursday, January 2nd.

WHY BET THE MIAMI HEAT:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 138-125 in favor of the Heat.
• Our projections have Tyler Herro finishing with 22 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists.
• From the field, we have the Heat finishing with a field goal percentage of 45.5% and knocking down 17 threes.

Are the Pacers Ready for a Road Win?

The Pacers fell to 16-18 on the season after a 120-112 home loss to the Bucks on Tuesday. Indiana, who entered the game as +2 point underdogs, failed to cover the spread. The game’s total of 232 points narrowly went over the pre-game line of 230.

Indiana took control in the 2nd quarter, outscoring Milwaukee 36-23, but the Bucks responded with a 12-0 run, extending their lead from 83-66 to 95-66. The Pacers entered the 4th quarter with a 91-88 lead but were outscored 32-21 in the final period.

Bennedict Mathurin led the Pacers with 25 points and 9 rebounds, hitting 3 threes at 60% in their 120-112 loss to the Bucks. Pascal Siakam added 20 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 threes, while Myles Turner contributed 16 points and 10 boards, shooting 58.3% from the field.

As a team, the Pacers shot 44.4% from the field and 35.1% from three, making 13 threes. Mathurin scored 10 points in the 4th quarter, while Jarace Walker added 8 of his 11 points in the 2nd quarter.

Defensively, the Pacers had a strong 2nd quarter, holding the Bucks to just 23 points, but they gave up 35 points in the 3rd and 32 in the 4th, leading to a 120-112 loss. Indiana allowed Milwaukee to shoot 46% from the field.

From beyond the arc, the Pacers limited the Bucks to 12 made threes on 36% shooting. Milwaukee also went 18/24 from the free-throw line. Indiana finished with 41 defensive rebounds, gave up 13 offensive boards, and recorded 8 steals and 7 blocks.

Will the Heat Find a Way to Win at Home?

Miami improved to 17-14 on the season with a 119-108 win over the Pelicans on Wednesday. The Heat, who were -9 point favorites, covered the spread, and the game’s total of 227 points went over the 220.5-point line.

Miami jumped out to a 36-24 lead after the 1st quarter, but the Pelicans responded with an 11-0 run, extending their lead from 50-41 to 61-41. The Heat regained control by outscoring New Orleans 34-25 in the 3rd quarter and held a 90-76 lead going into the 4th, where they held off the Pelicans’ late push.

In their win over the Pelicans, the Heat shot 53% from the field and hit 14 threes at a 41.2% clip. Tyler Herro led the way with 32 points, connecting on 5 threes, while Bam Adebayo added 23 points and 10 assists, shooting 64.3%.

Herro scored 12 points in the 3rd quarter and another 9 in the 4th. Adebayo also had 12 points in the final period, and Duncan Robinson contributed 9 of his 17 points in the 3rd.

Even with a tough 4th quarter, the Heat’s defense held the Pelicans to 108 points on Wednesday. They gave up 24 points in the 1st, 27 in the 2nd, and 25 in the 3rd before allowing 32 in the final period.

Miami’s defense was strong from beyond the arc, limiting New Orleans to just 9 threes on 26% shooting. The Heat also controlled the boards, allowing only 5 offensive rebounds.