The Oklahoma City Thunder (21-5) travel to face off against the Miami Heat (13-11) on Friday, December 20th. This game will be played at Kaseya Center in Miami and televised on FDSS. The Thunder are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Heat are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Heat. Tip-off is set for 8:00 ET.

Thunder vs Heat

The Thunder Are Coming Off A Win

The Thunder improved to 21-5 on the season with a 105-99 road win over the Magic on Thursday. Oklahoma City was favored by 6.5 points but didn’t cover the spread, winning by six. The game’s total points of 204 fell short of the 209.5 O/U line.

A key 12-0 run helped the Thunder take control, as they extended the score from 37-32 to 44-37. They dominated the 2nd quarter, outscoring Orlando 36-18, but the Magic fought back in the 3rd, winning the quarter 28-17. Oklahoma City entered the 4th with an 82-74 lead and held on, despite being outscored 25-23 in the final period.

The Heat Are Coming Off A Win

Miami fell to 13-11 on the season after a 125-124 road loss to the Pistons on Monday. The Heat, who were -4.5 point favorites, not only lost the game but also failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game ended at 249, well over the 219.5 O/U line.

Detroit went on a 10-0 run, stretching the score from 63-59 to 73-59. Miami made a strong push in the 4th quarter, outscoring the Pistons 33-17, but it wasn’t enough to complete the comeback.

Thunder Offense Breakdown

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the standout performer for the Thunder in their win over the Magic, scoring 35 points with 13 coming in the 1st quarter. He shot 57.7% from the field and added 6 assists.

Isaiah Hartenstein contributed 12 points and 12 rebounds, while Alex Caruso, Aaron Wiggins, and Jalen Williams each added 11 points. Caruso made 3 three-pointers, shooting 42.9% from beyond the arc. The Thunder made 10 threes as a team, shooting 32.3% from deep and 48.2% overall.

Heat Offense Breakdown

Jimmy Butler led the Heat with 35 points, 19 rebounds, and 10 assists in their 125-124 loss to the Pistons, shooting 57.1% from the field. Tyler Herro added 23 points, hitting 4 threes despite shooting just 23.5% from beyond the arc.

As a team, Miami made 12 threes, shooting 27.9% from deep. Butler scored 14 points in the 2nd quarter, while Herro contributed 13 in the 4th.

Thunder Team Defense

The Thunder put together a strong defensive performance on Thursday, holding the Magic to 99 points. Their best quarter came in the 2nd, where they allowed just 18 points. Oklahoma City gave up 28 points in both the 1st and 3rd quarters but limited Orlando to 25 points in the 4th to help secure the win.

Defensively, the Thunder held the Magic to 44% shooting from the field, including 31% from beyond the arc, where Orlando made 11 threes. Oklahoma City also sent the Magic to the free-throw line 25 times, where they converted 18. The Thunder finished with 15 steals and 6 blocks.

Heat Team Defense

The Thunder put together a strong defensive effort on Thursday, holding the Magic to 99 points. Their best quarter came in the 2nd, where they allowed just 18 points. Oklahoma City also limited Orlando to 25 points in the 4th quarter to help secure the win.

From beyond the arc, the Thunder held the Magic to 31% shooting, with Orlando making just 11 threes. Oklahoma City also recorded 15 steals and 6 blocks in the game.

Thunder vs Heat Trends

• When looking at their past ten road matchups, Oklahoma City has an ATS record of 5-5 while averaging 113 per game. The team went 7-3 overall in these games.
• Across their three previous home games, Miami has an ATS mark of 0-3. Their straight up record in these matchups was 0-3 while averaging 109 points per game.
• In their last three games as the betting underdog, the Heat have a straight up record of 1-2 and an ATS mark of 1-2.
• Oklahoma City has done well both straight up and vs the spread when favored to win the game, going 3-0 SU and 3-0 ATS in their last three games.

Thunder vs Heat Prediction

The Heat come in as the underdog at +1, making them our top choice on the point spread. We not only expect them to cover the spread but also believe they have a strong chance of winning the game outright, especially if you’re aiming for a higher moneyline payout.

As for the over/under, the the line is currently at 215, and our model projects the Thunder and Heat to reach a combined total of 258 points. Our bet is on taking the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.