Who will lock up the No. 8 seed in the East? The Miami Heat and Atlanta Hawks square off tonight, with the winner advancing to the playoffs to face the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round.
Here’s a preview of the Miami Heat vs Atlanta Hawks game, scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m. ET at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
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Miami Heat vs Atlanta Hawks Preview and Odds
Moneyline: Heat (+115) vs Hawks (-105)
Spread: Heat -1.5 (-110) vs Hawks +1.5 (-110)
Total (O/U): Heat o219.5 (-110) vs Hawks u219.5 (-110)
Editor’s note: The odds could change close to the game. The odds listed were as per available information at the time of writing.
Miami Heat vs Atlanta Hawks preview
Both squads are familiar faces in the play-in tournament, and this year they meet in the Eastern Conference’s final play-in clash for the eighth seed. The matchup is expected to be tight — just like their regular-season series, which ended in a 2-2 split.
The Hawks claimed the first two meetings with wins by 10 and 12 points, while Miami bounced back with victories by 22 and 10. Tyler Herro was the standout for the Heat in those contests, posting averages of 24.8 points, 6.8 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game.
On the flip side, Hawks star Trae Young struggled against Miami’s defense this season, managing just 17.0 ppg, 12.3 apg and 2.0 rpg while shooting 35.0% from the field and 26.5% from three. That’s a step down from his regular-season numbers of 24.2 ppg, 11.6 apg and 3.1 rpg.
The Heat come in riding high after a 109-90 win over the Bulls in their first play-in game, where Herro exploded for 38 points.
The Hawks, meanwhile, are trying to bounce back from a rough 120-95 loss to the Magic, where Young scored 28 but had little impact and was ejected late after losing his cool.
Injuries could have a big say in tonight’s outcome.
For the Miami Heat, Alec Burks (lower back discomfort), Haywood Highsmith (left Achilles soreness) and Duncan Robinson (left sacroiliac joint dysfunction) are all available to play.
Nikola Jovic is questionable due to a broken right hand, while Pelle Larsson is also questionable with a right ankle sprain. Kevin Love is listed as questionable as he continues return-to-competition reconditioning.
For the Hawks, Kobe Bufkin (right shoulder surgery), Clint Capela (left fourth metacarpal ligament sprain), Jalen Johnson (left shoulder surgery) and Larry Nance Jr. (right medial femoral condyle fracture) are all out. Trae Young is probable with right Achilles tendinitis.
Miami Heat vs Atlanta Hawks predicted starting lineups
Heat
G – Tyler Herro | G – Alec Burks | F – Andrew Wiggins | F – Bam Adebayo | C – Kel’el Ware
Hawks
G – Trae Young | G – Dyson Daniels | F – Zaccharie Risacher | F – Mouhamed Gueye | C – Onyeka Okongwu
Editor’s note: These are the predicted lineups and could change based on the availability of players.
Miami Heat vs Atlanta Hawks betting props
- Trae Young O/U 25.5 points – Take the over.
- Tyler Herro O/U 25.5 points – Take the under.
- Andrew Wiggins O/U 19.5 points– Take the under.
Miami Heat vs Atlanta Hawks prediction
Both teams have recent experience in high-stakes play-in scenarios, but tonight, we’re picking Miami to get it done. Expect a well-rounded effort led by Herro.
Our prediction: Heat win by 11.
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Edited by John Ezekiel Hirro
