The Miami Heat will host the New York Knicks at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida Tuesday night. The Heat opened as a 2-point favorite but the spread is currently Heat -1.5. The total opened at 204 points and that is still the current line.
TV Information: 7:30 p.m. ET, MSG (New York), FSN Sun (Miami)
New York Knicks
The 11-9 Knicks are just 2-6 on the road this season, and they’ve covered the spread in three of those games. The over/under is 4-4 in their eight road games. The Knicks rank 15th in the NBA for scoring at 104.3 points per game and 22nd in defense allowing 106.5 points per game.
New York has won three straight, defeating Minnesota twice in a home-and-home series before beating the Kings by a 106-98 scoreline on Sunday. Carmelo Anthony and Derrick Rose scored 20 points apiece to lead New York in scoring. Rose has settled in perfectly since joining from Chicago and is averaging 21.3 points on 54.1 percent shooting over the last four games. The Knicks did well defensively and held Sacramento to 32.3 percent shooting, and their recent surge has seen them climb in the division and they now trail Toronto by just three games for the Atlantic Division lead.
The Knicks are healthy and will miss just one player, starting shooting guard Courtney Lee, who has missed two straight games due to a sprained left ankle.
Miami Heat
The 7-13 Heat have won only two of their nine home games on the season and they’re 3-6 against the spread in those games. The over/under is 5-4. Miami rank 28th in the NBA in scoring averaging just 97.1 points per game but their defense is among the best in the league, ranking sixth while holding opponents to just under 99 points per game.
Miami is coming off back-to-back losses at Utah and most recently Portland. Miami is dealing with injuries to several key rotation players and is leaning on Hassan Whiteside and point guard Goran Dragic, who is averaging 22 points in four games since coming back from an elbow injury. Small forwards Luke Babbit (hip flexor) and Justise Winslow (wrist) and shooting guards Dion Waiters (groin) and Josh Richardson (ankle) are expected to sit out tonight’s contest. All four have started games this season.
Recent Meetings
Miami took three of the four meetings last season, with the three wins coming by an average of 17.7 points. The favorite is 17-5 ATS in the last 22 meetings and the Heat are 9-1 ATS in the last 10 meetings. That was however a Miami team with players like Dwyane Wade on the roster, and this Heat side is much much weaker while the Knicks look stronger than in many years.
Ricky Recommends: Take the points on the Knicks
