Knicks vs. Heat prediction and odds for Friday, March 3 (Does win streak reach eight?)
How fun are the New York Knicks right now?
New York has won seven straight games, opening up a solid cushion for the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference, and it has a chance to extend that streak on Friday against the Miami Heat.
The Knicks and Heat have played just once this season, with New York pulling out a 106-104 win at Madison Square Garden. This meeting in Miami is the first of three games this month between the two teams.
The most impressive part of the Knicks’ win against Miami earlier this season? Jalen Brunson was out of the lineup. He’s going to play on Friday, and he’s fresh off an Eastern Conference Player of the Month nod.
The Heat have taken a step back, losing five of their last six games to fall to the No. 7 spot in the East, 3.5 games back of New York. Still, each win is crucial for the Knicks if they want to avoid the play-in tournament this season.
Miami could be down star Jimmy Butler, who is listed as questionable with right knee soreness. Guard Kyle Lowry has already been ruled for this game for Miami.
Do the Knicks continue their strong play on the road (18-12 straight up), or does Miami even the season series?
Let’s get into the odds and best bet for this game:
Knicks vs. Heat odds, spread and total
Knicks vs. Heat prediction and pick
The Knicks are playing for each other right now, winning nine of their last 10 games, and RJ Barrett encapsulated just how much chemistry the team has going right now.
Miami is a great defensive team, but it plays very similarly to the Knicks, slowing down the pace on offense. Miami is 28th in pace this season while the Knicks are 27th.
The key difference? New York’s offense is way more efficient. The Knicks are fifth in the NBA in offensive rating while the Heat come in at 26th in the league.
Not only that, but Miami’s offense will certainly take a step back if Butler can’t play.
On the season, the Knicks are the best team against the spread as road favorites, going 7-2. The Heat have been one of the worst ATS teams in the league, but this is just the fourth time all season they’ve been underdogs at home.
In the previous three games, Miami is 2-1 ATS as a home dog.
At the end of the day, I think the Knicks’ offense is going to be too much for Miami to handle. I’m going to jump on New York to win this game early in case Butler is ruled out.
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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
