Miami Heat vs Milwaukee Bucks Prediction & Betting Tips - NBA

Prediction published on 27/11/2023, 15:47  by Joseph King | Modified on 27/11/2023 at 15:56 in NBA Predictions

The East: Group B enters the final group stage game in the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament with third-place Miami hosting leaders Milwaukee. The Bucks have a perfect 3-0 record and would wrap up the top spot with a victory. The Heat, at 2-1, will have to win this game to have a shot at qualifying for the quarter-final. Should Miami win and the Knicks lose (NY is currently 2-1), the Heat would top the group thanks to their head-to-head advantage over Milwaukee. Should both Miami and New York win, the group will be decided by points differential, as there would be three 3-1 teams with a three-way tie in terms of head-to-head records.

Miami will be kicking themselves after squandering a 21-point advantage in their third group stage game against the Knicks last Friday. Had they been able to close the deal, the Knicks would have been eliminated and Miami would be in a straight “win and you’re in” type matchup here. Instead, they’ll now have to worry about getting the victory as well as sweating the result of the Knicks meeting with the Hornets. The Heat are also at a distinct disadvantage as their current point differential of +11 is the worst of the three contending teams (Milwaukee with +39 while NY has +18). They could be looking at the need for a blowout victory. The Heat come into this one on a two game losing streak after a 112-97 defeat to the Nets. It was the second straight game where they failed to crack 100 points, although they had rested their star players with it being a back-to-back.

The Bucks head to South Beach in fine form after a 108-102 win over the Blazers on Sunday. After a mixed start to the season saw them with five wins from their first nine games, the 2020/21 champions have now ripped off seven wins from their last eight appearances. The purple patch has moved Milwaukee’s record to 12-5 on the year and puts them third in the Eastern Conference.