Online NBA sportsbooks favor the Milwaukee Bucks by five points over the Miami Heat on May 22, 2021, 2:00 PM ET at Fiserv Forum.
Miami Heat vs. Milwaukee Bucks NBA Odds by BetAnySports
| Team | SP/RL | TOTAL | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heat | +5 (-110) | 227 (-110) | +175 |  |
| Bucks | -5 (-110) | 227 (-110) | -210 | |
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Betting Miami Heat
The Heat are underdogs at the best online sportsbooks. The Heat are on the brink of making another run at an NBA championship. With a similar roster like the one they had last season, except for a few players.
They will aim to make another big impact like they did in the NBA Bubble only a year ago. Like last season, the Miami Heat were lucky enough to manage to make a few moves at the NBA trade deadline.
Not so luckily, one of those moves, Victor Oladipo, has not paid off as they might have hoped he would. He has been out for some time following a season-ending surgery on his right quadriceps tendon. It’s worth asking how much does not having Oladipo hurt the Heat in their upcoming playoff run?
Per online sportsbooks trends, Miami is 5-1 ATS in their last six games. The total has gone O in 11 of Miami’s last 13 games. Miami is 5-1 SU in their last six games. Heat is 13-7 ATS in their last 20 games versus Milwaukee.
Miami is 13-7 SU in their last 20 games versus Milwaukee. The total has gone O in six of Miami’s last seven games on the road. Miami is 4-2 ATS in their last six games when playing on the road versus Milwaukee.
The total has gone O in eight of Miami’s last 10 games this season. Miami is 6-1 ATS in their last seven games against an opponent in the Eastern Conference. Miami is 5-2 SU in their last seven games against an opponent in the Central Division.
Betting Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks are favored at online sportsbooks. “We start with the paint; you build from there,” Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer said of his team’s defensive approach. Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra works off a similar blueprint.
As odd as it sounds in today’s ‘three-for-all NBA’, the approach has served for both defenses well. It will surely remain a defensive cornerstone when the teams open their best-of-seven first-round series on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Fiserv Forum.
That is not to say there aren’t big risks. Both rosters feature quality three-point shooters. What it comes down to is that the paint is considered hallowed ground for both teams. “I mean, every time a guy hits two or three in a row, or a team hits 15 a quarter, we’re pulling our hair out,” Budenholzer said. “It’s the beauty and the beast of coaching. You have things you believe in, and you’re tested every night, every day.”
“I think defensively,” Bucks guard Pat Connaughton added, “it’s about that mental focus against the Heat, because of how much they move, because they’ve got guys like Duncan Robinson, who you’re so worried about shooting threes, he’s going to get a back-door layup here or there. And that’s what we want to make sure, we’re not giving away both.”
Milwaukee is 1-6 ATS in their last seven games. The total has gone Oin five of Milwaukee’s last seven games. Milwaukee is 8-2 SU in their last 10 games. The total has gone U in 11 of Milwaukee’s last 16 games versus Miami.
Milwaukee is 8-0 SU in their last eight games at home. Bucks are 2-4 ATS in their last six games when playing at home versus Miami. Milwaukee is 1-4 ATS in their last five games this season. Milwaukee is 8-1 SU in their last nine games against an opponent in the Eastern Conference. The total has gone U in six of Milwaukee’s last seven games against an opponent in the Southeast Division. The total has gone O in five of Milwaukee’s last seven games played in May.
Miami Heat vs. Milwaukee Bucks NBA Pick
Milwaukee Bucks
