Cavaliers vs. Heat NBA Preview and Best Bet for Friday (Archive)
The Cleveland Cavaliers head to Miami to take on the first-place Miami Heat. The Cavaliers have struggled with injuries lately but are still trying to hold on to their playoff spot. Can they get a big upset against the class of the Eastern Conference? Which team is the right NBA pick?
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Miami Heat
Friday, March 11, 2022 – 08:00 PM EST at FTX Arena
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are going through a rough stretch, although they have won their last two games. However, they are 4-6 over their last 10, as injuries have hurt this promising young squad. The Cavaliers will definitely be missing Jarrett Allen, and Caris LeVert is a game-time decision tonight.
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Darius Garland has had to pick up his offensive usage. Garland scored 41 points and had 13 assists in a 127-124 win over the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night. Evan Mobley also had to step up with Allen out, and he had 22 points and 12 rebounds in the win.
Jarrett Allen is a big piece of this team, and the Cavaliers are hoping to get some wins, protect their playoff position, and bring him back for a strong playoff push. This would be the Cavaliers' first playoff appearance since LeBron James left the organization.
Due to the team's recent slump, the Cleveland Cavaliers have fallen into sixth place in the Eastern Conference. The Cavaliers are hoping to move back up the standings, but they face a tough task tonight against the Miami Heat, who are very good at home with a record of 23-8.
However, the Cavaliers are 18-16 on the road, which is definitely a respectable record. The Cavaliers have a point differential of +3.4 this year.
With the injury to Allen, the Cavaliers decided to keep Kevin Love coming off the bench and start Dean Wade at power forward. This decision was made so the bench would still have some scoring punch while Garland and Mobley rested.
Unfortunately, this leaves two holes in the Cavaliers' starting lineup offense. Neither Dean Wade nor Isaac Okoro have much offensive ability. However, both are good defenders. The Cavaliers have decided to build their team identity around being a strong defensive team.
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat lost their most recent game against the team with the best record in the NBA, the Phoenix Suns. Devin Booker's return boosted the Suns and they beat the Heat fairly easily 111–90. This is one of the Heat's most disappointing performances this season.
It was only Miami's 3rd loss in their last 15 games. Miami was missing team leader Jimmy Butler, who sat with a sinus infection. Caleb Martin injured himself during the game and is questionable for tonight.
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Miami has been consistent this season and they rarely have two bad performances in a row. This could spell trouble for the struggling Cavaliers. Tonight is a matchup of two of the NBA's top defenses. The Cavaliers are first in points against at 103.5. The Miami Heat are fourth in points against at 104.7. This should be a hard-fought battle with plenty of defensive intensity.
Miami is easing Victor Oladipo back into the rotation. Oladipo has played two games for the Heat this season. Oladipo has looked pretty good, and if he is able to return to close to his All-Star level form, he brings a potent option for Erik Spoelstra to bring off the bench.
It will be interesting to see if they ramp up Oladipo’s minutes or they stick to around the 15 minutes per game that he has played in his two appearances thus far.
Evan Mobley vs. Bam Adebayo
Evan Mobley burst onto the scene this year and is the front runner for the Rookie of the Year. Mobley is a versatile defender, who can defend inside and out. Mobley has the same versatile repertoire on the offensive end. If that sounds similar to my descriptions of Bam Adebayo, that is not a coincidence.
Adebayo is a polished yet less athletic version of Mobley. This should be key in tonight's matchup. If Adebayo is able to use his veteran tricks and slow down Mobley, the Heat have a great chance to get the win. If Mobley can do what he's done all season and perform even against the best defenders, the Cavaliers have a good chance to get the upset.
Best Bet
I like Miami Heat to cover the NBA odds. Cleveland has a great future but they are racked with injuries right now. I think Bam Adebayo's veteran experience will help in his matchup with the young Evan Mobley. Miami is excellent at home. Coming off a big loss, this will be a great opportunity for Miami to get back on track. Today's Play of the Day is the Miami Heat - 5.5.
NBA Pick: Miami Heat -5.5 (-108) at Bovada (visit our Bovada Review)
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