Oklahoma City Thunder at Miami Heat Game Preview
It’s Friday, December 20, and the Oklahoma City Thunder (21-5) and Miami Heat (13-11) are all set to square off from Kaseya Center in Miami. The Thunder are currently 10-3 on the road with a point differential of 12, while the Heat have a 7-3 record in their last ten games at home.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Thunder vs. Heat live today
Date: Friday, December 20, 2024
Time: 8 pm EST
Site: Kaseya Center
City: Miami, FL
Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day NBA schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game.
Game odds for Thunder vs. Heat
The latest odds as of Friday:
Odds: OKC Thunder (-125.00), Miami Heat (+105.00)
Spread: OKC -1.5
Over/Under: 216.5 points
That gives the Thunder an implied team point total of 108.67, and the Heat 107.88.
Want to know which sportsbook is offering the best lines for every game on the NBA calendar? Check out the NBC Sports’ Live Odds tool to get all the latest updated info from DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM & more!
Expert picks & predictions for Friday Thunder vs. Heat game
NBC Sports Bet Best Bet
Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper) likes the home team: Miami +1.5
“This is the 3rd game in 4 nights for OKC against a well-rested Miami team. A number of the issues that plauged the Thunder in the NBA Cup Final are likely to be on display here with a Heat team that can employ a very effective zone defense to exploit the cold shooting OKC squad.”
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s Thunder & Heat game:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Miami Heat at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the under on the Game Total of 216.5.
Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions page from NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!
Important stats, trends & insights to know ahead of Thunder vs. Heat on Friday
Miami is currently riding a 5-game home winning streak.
OKC is 17-1 in games decided by 10 points or less.
Chet Holmgren (hip) and Jaylin Williams (hamstring) both remain sidelined for the Thunder.
Miami’s Bam Adebayo is averaging a double-double: 16.5 points and 10.3 rebounds per game.
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline, and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Bet the Edge is your source for all things sports betting. Get all of Jay Croucher and Drew Dinsick’s insight weekdays at 6AM ET right here or wherever you get your favorite podcasts.
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
– Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
– Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
– Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
– Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
