Oklahoma City Thunder vs Miami Heat Betting Pick & Prediction 12/20/24

At 8:00 ET, the Miami Heat (-104) will host the Oklahoma City Thunder (-115) in a non-conference matchup. The Thunder are currently favored by 1 point and have a record of 21-5. They are on a 6-game win streak and are ranked 1st in the Western Conference.

This game will be played at the Kaseya Center in Miami. The Heat are 13-11 on the season and are 6th in the Eastern Conference. The over/under line for this game is currently set at 215 points.

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER VS MIAMI HEAT BETTING PICK

The Pick: Miami Heat +1

This game will be played at Kaseya Center at 8:00 ET on Friday, December 20th.

WHY BET THE MIAMI HEAT:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 140-118 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 45.9% and knocking down 17 threes.

Will Oklahoma City Come Through as Road Favorites?

Oklahoma City improved to 21-5 with a 105-99 road win over the Magic on Thursday. The Thunder, favored by 6.5 points, didn’t cover the spread, and the game’s total of 204 points fell short of the 209.5 O/U line.

A 12-0 run helped Oklahoma City take control, turning a 37-32 deficit into a 44-37 lead. They dominated the 2nd quarter, outscoring Orlando 36-18, but the Magic fought back in the 3rd, winning it 28-17. The Thunder held an 82-74 lead going into the 4th and edged out the Magic 23-25 in the final quarter.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder to a win over the Magic on Thursday, scoring 35 points and dishing out 6 assists. He shot 57.7% from the field and scored 24 of his points in the first half. Isaiah Hartenstein added 12 points and 12 rebounds, while Alex Caruso, Aaron Wiggins, and Jalen Williams each chipped in 11 points.

Oklahoma City shot 48.2% from the field, but struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 10 threes at a 32.3% rate. Caruso made 3 of his 7 attempts from deep, finishing with 11 points and 5 of those coming in the 3rd quarter.

The Thunder held the Magic to just 99 points on Thursday, thanks to a strong defensive effort in the 2nd quarter, where they allowed only 18 points. Oklahoma City gave up 28 points in both the 1st and 3rd quarters but tightened up in the 4th, allowing 25 points to secure the win.

Defensively, the Thunder limited Orlando to 44% shooting from the field and 31% from three-point range, with the Magic hitting just 11 threes. Oklahoma City also sent Orlando to the line 25 times, where they made 18 free throws. The Thunder finished with 15 steals and 6 blocks in the game.

Can the Heat Please their Home Crowd?

The Heat fell to 13-11 on the season after a 125-124 road loss to the Pistons on Monday. Miami, who entered the game as 4.5-point favorites, not only lost but also failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game reached 249, well over the pre-game line of 219.5.

Detroit took control with a 10-0 run, stretching their lead from 63-59 to 73-59. They outscored Miami 34-22 in the 3rd quarter, but the Heat fought back in the 4th, holding the Pistons to 17 points while scoring 33 of their own. However, the comeback fell just short.

Jimmy Butler’s 35-point, 19-rebound performance wasn’t enough for the Heat in their 125-124 loss to the Pistons. Butler shot 57.1% from the field, while Tyler Herro added 23 points, despite hitting just 23.5% from deep.

As a team, Miami connected on 12 threes, shooting 27.9% from beyond the arc. Herro scored 13 points in the 4th quarter, while Butler added 14 in the 2nd.

Despite a strong defensive effort in the 4th quarter, where they allowed just 17 points, the Heat couldn’t overcome their earlier struggles, giving up 125 points in a loss to the Pistons. Miami allowed 33 points in the 1st quarter and 34 in the 3rd, as Detroit shot 48% from the field.

The Heat had trouble defending the three-point line, allowing the Pistons to hit 20 threes at a 50% clip. Miami sent Detroit to the line 23 times, where they made 17 free throws. The Heat finished with 35 defensive rebounds, allowed 7 offensive boards, and recorded 16 steals.