You never want to lose a trio of players during a playoff push, but it didn’t slow down the Miami Heat. The shorthanded Heat improved to 4-0 on their road trip with a 121-110 win over the Sacramento Kings Monday without three players -- Jimmy Butler, Thomas Bryant and Nikola Jovic -- a trio that was suspended for their involvement in Friday’s skirmish in a road win over New Orleans.
Butler and Jovic are back after one-game suspensions for Miami’s latest road tilt against the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday. Miami, 8-2 in its last 10 games, has moved to the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference in a tie with Indiana.
Portland is only above the Spurs in the Western Conference standings and have gone 0-8 in February following Sunday’s 93-80 loss to Charlotte.
Can Portland hang with Miami as a home underdog? Here’s the betting preview for Tuesday’s cross-conference bout with a best bet.
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Heat vs. Blazers odds, spread and total
Heat vs. Blazers how to watch
- Date: Tuesday, Feb. 27
- Game time: 10 p.m. EST
- Venue: Moda Center
- How to watch (TV): Bally Sports
- Heat record: 32-25
- Blazers record: 15-41
Heat vs. Blazers injury report
Miami Heat
- Orlando Robinson (back): questionable
- Tyler Herro (knee): questionable
Portland Trail Blazers
- Moses Brown (wrist): out
- Scoot Henderson (adductor): out
- Malcolm Brogdon (elbow): out
- Rayan Rupert (ankle): probable
Heat vs. Blazers key players to watch
Heat
Bam Adebayo: The 6-foot-9 center has gone 11-of-18 from the field in back-to-back games to open up the second half of the regular season. Adebayo has poured in 20-plus points in five of the last six games and is shooting 57.6% from the field in February. Adebayo was three assists shy of a triple-double in leading the shorthanded Heat over the Kings on Monday, finishing with 28 points and 10 rebounds.
Blazers
Deandre Ayton: The 7-foot center was the lone bright spot in an ugly 93-80 loss to Charlotte on Sunday, totaling 26 points and 19 rebounds. Ayton, in his first season in Portland, has a double-double in four of his last five games. He is averaging 17.9 points and 11.1 rebounds per game in February while shooting 63.4% from the field.
Heat vs. Blazers prediction and pick
Portland has lost eight consecutive games and have lacked any fight over the last half of that skid. Over the last four games, Portland has lost by 19.2 points per game that includes defeats of 12, 37 and 15 points against winning teams (Minnesota, Denver).
Portland is just 7-31 straight up against teams with a winning record this season and there’s little home-court advantage at Moda Center. The Trail Blazers are 11-17 ATS at home this season, which ranks 28th in the NBA.
Portland’s offense goes through Ayton down low, but Miami has the defense to counteract that attack. The Heat are No. 7 in defensive rating and are top-10 in both points in the paint and second-chance points allowed.
Portland is the No. 5 offensive rebounding team in the NBA, but Miami is No. 3 on the defensive boards. Miami will have plenty of opportunities to clean the glass against a Portland offense that is last in the league in shooting percentage and 29th in net ranking.
On the opposing side, Miami’s offense, which is hoping to get Tyler Herro back on Tuesday, faces a Portland defense that is No. 26 in opposing field goal percentage. The Heat continue to cruise on their road trip. Lay the points with Miami.
Game odds update periodically and are subject to change.