Knicks vs Heat Betting Analysis: Heat Seek to Regain Lead

The Knicks vs Heat betting analysis shows Miami is favored by 3 points in Game 3. The total on the game is 208. The Knicks evened the series Tuesday night with a 111-105 victory. New York rallied in the fourth quarter to take the win. The Heat decided to sit Jimmy Butler with an ankle sprain. Butler wanted to play, but Miami thought giving him some time off would allow him to be close to full strength.

When it was announced Butler wouldn’t play, the line shot up to New York -9 or 10. The Heat covered the inflated number after a few anxious moments in the final minute. The Knicks led by eight with 31.1 seconds remaining.

Without Butler, Miami elected to shoot a lot of 3-pointers, making 17 of 49. That allowed Miami to stay close despite being outshot and outrebounded 50-34. After playing solid in the opener, both Kevin Love and Kyle Lowry struggled in Game 2. The pair were a combined 5 for 18 from the field and scored 14 points between them.

The NBA player stats show New York’s Jalen Brunson with a game-high 30 points. Julius Randle added 25 and RJ Barrett scored 24 to lead New York.

The Knicks vs Heat betting analysis shows the Heat kept the turnovers down, making just six. The Knicks had 10 in the game, as both squads played a cleaner game than they did in Game 1.

Hart Strong All-Around

Josh Hart didn’t have a great shooting night for the Knicks. However, he was solid all-around, scoring 14 points, grabbing 11 rebounds and making 9 assists. He isn’t a player you think of when it comes to triple-doubles. But he was awfully close. The Knicks have won in the postseason when he plays well. New York needs him to show up big in Miami.

Randle Comes Up Big

Randle also came close to a triple-double for the Knicks. He had 12 rebounds and 8 assists to go with his 25 points. Randle was second on the team with a +14 rating. The only player to do better was Hart.

Nobody Steps Up for Miami

Miami needed somebody to come up big with Butler riding the bench for the game. Nobody really did. Caleb Martin led the team with 22 points. But he had a team-worst -14 rating. Gabe Vincent had 21 points on 7 of 17 shooting. Both had decent games, but not the games Miami needed when it was shorthanded.

Handicapping Game 3

The NBA playoff odds of Miami -3 are about right considering the playoff series price before Game 1. The Heat were a solid home team during the NBA season. Miami was 27-14 during the year and beat Milwaukee both NBA playoff games. The Heat weren’t great home favorites against the spread, so laying points with Miami is a risky proposition.

The Heat need to come out strong in Game 3. Miami essentially gave Game 2 away by sitting Butler, who said he could play. But the Heat were more focused on the entire series, not necessarily just Game 2. It’s a move that will be second-guessed if New York wins the series. But it’s one Miami felt was in the best interest of the team. The decision to sit Butler in Game 2 of the Heat vs Knicks series was a risky move, and now Miami must regroup and come out with a stronger performance in Game 3 to avoid falling behind in the series.

The New York Knicks are coming into Miami with the mindset of needing a split. That will return the home court edge to New York heading into the final three games. The Knicks have rebounded well in the postseason. That’s been a big reason why New York is 5-2 in the playoffs.

The Knicks vs Heat betting analysis shows the Heat were better against the spread as small favorites at home. They weren’t great, going 6-6-1 ATS as favorites of 3 points or less. But the Heat were just 7-15-1 when favored by 4 or more. The line is low enough where it shouldn’t come into play. But these are two evenly matched NBA teams. With the Heat really needing to get back on track, you have to believe Miami -3 is the right side in this spot.

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