The Charlotte Hornets (8-28) travel to face off against the Miami Heat (22-16) on Sunday, January 14th. This game will be played at Kaseya Center in Miami and televised on BSSU. The Heat are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Hornets are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Magic. Tip-off is set for 6:00 ET.

Hornets vs Heat

The Hornets Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

In their most recent game, the Hornets tell to the Spurs by a score of 135-99. In addition to their straight-up loss, the Hornets couldn’t cover the spread as +2 point underdogs. When it comes to the over/under, the total of 234 points ended up falling short of the over/under line set at 237.

With an overall record of 8-28, the Hornets are looking to snap their four game losing streak as they take on the Heat. On the road, the Hornets are 4-15 compared to their 4-13 record at home this season.

Charlotte possesses an ATS record of 13-21 for this season, including their ongoing two game losing streak against the spread. Charlotte has gone 0-3 against the spread this season when they are the favorites, and they are 13-18 when playing as underdogs.

The Heat Are Coming Off A Win

In their latest game against the Magic, Duncan Robinson was the top scorer for the Heat’s offense, scoring 23 points and shooting 9/19 from the field. The Heat picked up a 99-96 win, and Bam Adebayo also added 21 points which was 2nd on the team.

The Heat come into today’s games with an overall record of 22-16 and have gone 2-1 in their last three games. At home, the Heat are 11-7 while going 11-9 on the road this season.

Miami currently has an ATS record below .500, sitting at 18-19 at this point. When playing on the road, the Heat hold an ATS record of 11-8 in contrast to a 7-11 record against the spread when playing at home.

Hornets Offense Breakdown

This season, the Charlotte offense is ranked 28th in the NBA in scoring at 108.9 points per game.

When it comes to scoring, the Hornets are below the NBA average in terms of points per game, averaging 108.9 points per contest (28th). In terms of their road scoring, they are averaging 109.2 points per game.

So far this season, Charlotte has outscored the NBA scoring average in just 38.9% of their games. In terms of field goal percentage, they are shooting 45% from the field (27th).

One area where the Hornets have struggled is at the free-throw line. They are last in the NBA in free throws made per game (15.4) and free throw attempts per game (19.4).

Heat Offense Breakdown

In 38 games games, Miami has an average of 112.5 points per game (25th).

At home, the Heat are averaging 116.1 points per game, which is 16th in the NBA. Overall, they are 25th in scoring at 112.5 PPG. In terms of pace, Miami is 28th in the league.

When it comes to three-point shooting, the Heat are 3rd in the NBA at 38%. They are also 6th in free throw attempts and 16th in made threes.

So far this season, Miami has outscored the NBA scoring average in 42.1% of their games. In terms of assists, they are 16th in the league.

Hornets Team Defense

On defense, the Hornets come into the game ranked 25th in the league in points allowed at 120.5 per game. Over their last three games, the team is allowing 125.7 points per contest (3rd). On two point field goal attempts, the Hornets’ defensive unit is allowing a field goal percentage of 56.7% and allowing 39.4% from beyond the arc.

Heat Team Defense

Coming into today’s game, the Heat’s defense is giving up an average of 111.6 points per contest. In terms of two point field goal attempts, the Heat defense has allowed a shooting percentage of 56.3% while allowing 36.6% from downtown.

Key Players For The Hornets And Heat

In today’s game, our projections have LaMelo Ball leading the Hornets with 23 points on 8/19 shooting from the field. Throughout this season, his average stands at 24.9 points per game, along with 5.3 rebounds.

As for Miami, Jimmy Butler is projected to be the primary scorer for the Heat. Our forecast has him finishing the game with 22, and adding 5 rebounds. This season, he has put together a field goal percentage of 46.4%, and he is contributing 21 points per game on average.

Hornets vs Heat Trends

• When looking at their past three road matchups, Charlotte has an ATS record of 1-2 while averaging 100 per game. The team went 1-2 overall in these games.
• In their last ten games at home, the Heat have a straight up record of 5-5 while going 5-5 vs. the spread. The team averaged 107 points per game in this stretch.
• Looking back on the team’s last five games as the underdog, the Hornets have a straight up record of 1-4. Their record vs the spread in these games was 1-3-1.
• Miami has done well both straight up and vs the spread when favored to win the game, going 4-1 SU and 4-1 ATS in their last five games.

Hornets vs Heat Prediction

We’re putting our money on the Heat to win, and have the projected score sitting at 115-102. We also like them to cover the spread, so our recommendation is to bet on the Heat at -8.

As for the over/under, the the line is currently at 222, and our model projects the Hornets and Heat to reach a combined total of 217 points. Our bet is on taking the under.

---

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

---

* 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.