Kings to Put Short-Handed Heat to the Sword
Heat vs Kings Preview
We have a Heat vs Kings preview for the highly-anticipated matchup on Monday night.
Many Heat players are missing from the lineup, and recent events haven’t helped their cause.
The NBA season saw dramatic scenes when the Heat players fought with the Pelicans, but the Heat prevailed and now face an in-form Kings outfit.
Heat vs Kings 
Location: Golden 1 Center
Day/Time:
Heat Under Fire
It’s fair to say the Heat were a little hot under the collar against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Several players incurred a fine, including Jimmy Butler, who got into the thick of the action. However, despite their transgressions, the Heat have been playing well, with four wins from their last five games.
They defeated the likes of the Bucks, 76ers, and Pelicans, all top-tier teams. Those wins should give them plenty of confidence, but they have injury concerns, threatening their chances.
We expect NBA scores today to see the Heat struggle to score, but their defense is good enough to limit the Kings offense, which has been firing.
The sportsbook has the Heat at +7.5, so they’re not expected to win outright. However, the Heat are 15-12-1 ATS on the road, so there are some positives for the road team.
Kings on the Rise
The Kings are in season-best form with three consecutive wins, including a big road win over the Clippers on Sunday.
NBA betting odds have them as firm favorites to keep their winning run going, which is a fair line. They dismantled the Clippers, who didn’t have Paul George, but it was still a fine effort.
They are 16-9 at home, and they’re keen to turn around a 115-106 loss to the Heat earlier in the year. Getting revenge at home is a common occurrence in the NBA, and our Heat vs Kings preview is confident in their chances.
Our only concern is the Kings spread record at home. They are 11-14 ATS at Golden 1 Center, which doesn’t thrill us. However, they’re improving at home, and they have enough weapons on the offensive end to win big.
De’Aaron Fox scored 33 points against the Clippers, and a confident Fox adds a lot to this team.
Domantas Sabonis is another reason to back the Kings. He’s a beast on the boards, and he’s a significant scoring threat in the paint.
Lock in the Kings
Taking a -7.5 line isn’t easy, but there is plenty of momentum with the Kings, and we’re prepared to ride them.
The Heat could take a few games to recover from what happened against New Orleans, so we’re not prepared to back them with the points.
Having the luxury of Fox and Sabonis is something many teams don’t have, including the Heat. They are lacking natural scorers, so keeping up with the Kings on offense could be their downfall.
Under 225 is also worth including. The Heat could struggle to score over 110 points, and they have been winning games by scoring totals of 109 and 106 points recently.
