Miami Heat vs Detroit Pistons Betting Pick & Prediction 12/16/24
The Miami Heat (-197) will travel to take on the Detroit Pistons (+165) in an Eastern Conference matchup. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 ET at Little Caesars Arena. The Heat are currently 5th in the East, while the Pistons are 11th.
FDSD will have TV coverage of this game. Miami is favored by 5 points and comes in with a 13-10 record, including a 4-game win streak. Detroit is 10-16 and sits 5th in the Central Division.
MIAMI HEAT VS DETROIT PISTONS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Miami Heat -5
This game will be played at Little Caesars Arena at 7:00 ET on Monday, December 16th.
WHY BET THE MIAMI HEAT:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 121-111 in favor of the Heat.
- Our projections have Tyler Herro finishing with 21 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists.
- From the field, we have the Heat finishing with a field goal percentage of 46.3% and knocking down 14 threes.
Can the Heat Lock in a Road Win?
Miami improved to 13-10 this season with a 114-104 win over the Raptors on Thursday. The Heat were favored by 10.5 points but didn’t cover the spread, and the game’s total of 218 points fell short of the 224.5-point over/under line.
After a 14-0 run by Toronto, Miami responded by outscoring the Raptors 35-24 in the 2nd quarter and 31-25 in the 3rd. Heading into the 4th with an 89-76 lead, the Heat held off a late push from the Raptors, who outscored them 28-25 in the final period.
Tyler Herro’s 23 points and 4 made threes on 57.1% shooting from deep led the Heat to a win over the Raptors, as he shot 69.2% from the field overall. Bam Adebayo added 21 points and 16 rebounds, with 13 of his points coming in the 4th quarter.
Miami hit 13 threes at a 40.6% clip, shooting 48.2% from the field as a team. Nikola Jovic contributed 14 points, 11 of which came in the 2nd quarter, and he was perfect from beyond the arc, making both of his attempts.
Defensively, the Heat held the Raptors to 104 points on Thursday, giving up 27 points in the 1st quarter, 24 in the 2nd, 25 in the 3rd, and 28 in the 4th. Miami limited Toronto to 44% shooting from the field.
From beyond the arc, the Heat allowed 11 threes on 34% shooting. The Raptors also went 11/15 from the free-throw line. Miami finished with 41 defensive rebounds, gave up 9 offensive boards, and recorded 4 steals and 3 blocks.
Can Detroit Pull Out the Win as Home Underdogs?
After a 123-99 loss to the Celtics on Thursday, the Pistons are now 10-16 for the season. Detroit, who were +11.5 point underdogs, failed to cover the spread. The game’s total of 222 points came in just under the 224.5-point line.
Boston took control early, going on a 10-0 run to extend their lead from 38-33 to 48-33. Detroit trailed 93-68 going into the 4th quarter, and while they outscored the Celtics 31-30 in the final period, it was too little, too late.
In their 99-point effort against the Celtics, the Pistons struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 7 threes at an 18.9% clip. Overall, they shot 42.9% from the field.
Ron Holland II led Detroit with 26 points, shooting 78.6% and adding 20 points in the 4th quarter. Cade Cunningham contributed 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists.
Defensively, the Pistons struggled against the Celtics, giving up 123 points on 51% shooting. Detroit allowed Boston to score at least 30 points in three of the four quarters, including 34 in the 3rd.
The Pistons also had trouble defending the three, as the Celtics hit 20 threes at a 41% clip. Detroit sent Boston to the line 13 times, where the Celtics made 11 free throws. The Pistons finished with 8 steals and 4 blocks.