CHARLOTTE vs MIAMI 10/20/2018 Odds, Picks & Preview

The CHARLOTTE and the MIAMI will both be gunning for a victory on 10/20/2018 at 8:05 PM when they meet in a game matchup.

CHARLOTTE HORNETS vs MIAMI HEAT
When: 8:00 PM  ET, Saturday, October 20, 2018
Where: American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida

TV: 8:05 PM
LINE: -5
PREDICTION: MIAMI , CHARLOTTE

Oddsmakers currently have the MIAMI listed as -5 point favorites versus the CHARLOTTE, while the game’s total is sitting at 216.5.

The Miami Heat will try to build off a dramatic win on the road when they open their home schedule Saturday night against the Charlotte Hornets. After dropping the season opener at Orlando, the Heat got a putback from Kelly Olynyk with 0.2 seconds left to steal a 113-112 victory at Washington on Thursday.

Olynyk’s rebound gave Miami a 55-40 advantage on the glass, including 22-7 on the offensive end, which led to a 27-10 edge in second-chance points. “These are great opportunities to build some grit. And we do it within 48 hours,” coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters. “We had a heartbreaking loss last night, not just because it went down to the end. But we had moments we could have done a better job during the course of the game. We didn’t play to our capabilities and that’s this game, that’s this league. We had an opportunity to come back another night.” The Hornets bounced back from a one-point loss in their opener with a 120-88 runaway victory at Orlando on Friday to begin a four-game road trip. Kemba Walker scored 26 points while making five 3-pointers to lead the way.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS Southeast (Charlotte), FS Sun (Miami)

ABOUT THE HORNETS (1-1): Charlotte ranked 21st in the NBA last season with 27.2 3-point attempts per game, but it has shown an early commitment to long-range shooting. After hitting 16-of-38 from behind the arc in the 113-112 loss to Milwaukee on Wednesday, the Hornets were 17-of-38 against the Magic. Walker is 12-for-23 thus far and rookie Miles Bridges broke out Friday with a 3-for-3 effort from long distance en route to a 15-point showing in just 14 minutes.

ABOUT THE HEAT (1-1): Josh Richardson scored 28 points in the win over the Wizards while attempting 21 shots for the second straight time, an early bump in activity for the fourth-year forward brought on in part due to a handful of injuries elsewhere on the roster. Dion Waiters (ankle), Wayne Ellington (ankle), Justise Winslow (hamstring) and James Johnson (abdomen) — a quartet that averaged nearly 45 points combined last season – have each missed the first two games. Rodney McGruder has also taken advantage of some early opportunities by starting the first two games to match last season’s total while averaging 14 points.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Heat SG Dwyane Wade has started his final season in the NBA by making 7-of-24 shots through the first two games.

2. Hornets PG Tony Parker, who may sit Saturday in the second half of a back-to-back, was scoreless while missing all five of his shot attempts in the win over Orlando.

3. Miami has won six straight meetings, although its four wins over Charlotte last season came by a total of 16 points.

PREDICTION: Heat 110, Hornets 102

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