Miami Heat vs Charlotte Hornets 2/17/22: Starting Lineups, Matchup Preview, Betting Odds, Predictions

Miami Heat vs. Charlotte Hornets Matchup Preview (2/17/22)

The tumbling Charlotte Hornets host the Miami Heat in an Eastern Conference showdown. This game will feature a high-powered offense and a lockdown defense, which surely will make for a fantastic 48 minutes of basketball. Unfortunately, Charlotte has dropped eight of its past nine games in by far its biggest slump of the 2021-22 NBA season. While the Hornets are missing Cody Martin and Gordon Hayward, that is still no reason to drop eight of nine. During that span, Charlotte has allowed opponents to score over 115 points per game on 47% from the field and 36% from deep. The Hornets’ defense has been pretty bad all season but has been even worse recently. Much of that can be attributed to their poor play on offense, where they have been shooting just over 40% from the floor.

Miami could be without Tyler Herro and Jimmy Butler for this matchup, complicating things for the Heat. Herro has already been ruled out due to a nagging knee injury, but the Heat could also be without Butler if his shoulder does not improve. The Heat have been on fire, winning five of their past six games. Their only loss came against the Dallas Mavericks, who have been exceptional, so that is not a bad loss. This game features one of the league’s best offenses and best defenses, so it should be a battle. Check out my preview below, where I dive into the betting odds and predictions!

Miami Heat vs. Charlotte Hornets Betting Odds

Charlotte has been really solid all season covering the spread as home dogs, but I’m not sure how much weight that carries since it is playing so badly. Additionally, the Heat are fairly good at covering on the road this season with a 19-13 record. I would hold off on betting until we know what the injury news is with Jimmy Butler. If he does not play, then Charlotte should have no problem covering as a slight road dog, but if he does, then I would have to lean towards the Miami Heat against the spread. The point total will be another interesting bet; I really have no idea where the total will be when it comes out, but if it is in the low 220s, I will definitely consider the over.

How To Watch

Date: 2/17/22
Time: 7:00 PM ET
Arena: Spectrum Center – Charlotte, NC
Channel: NBA League Pass

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Miami Heat Starting Lineup

PG: Kyle Lowry
SG: Jimmy Butler
SF: P.J. Tucker
PF: Duncan Robinson
C: Bam Adebayo

Miami Heat Analysis

The Heat have won five of their past six games while holding opponents to under 100 points per game on under 30% from behind the arc during that span. Additionally, opponents have merely shot 42% from the field, which is well-below average. Miami is a dangerous team when it is healthy and has proven it can win even if it misses a few players. This will likely be the case against Charlotte as Herro has already been declared out, and Jimmy Butler is questionable. Miami has outscored opponents by an average of 11 points through the past six games, but it will have to rely even more on offense this game because Charlotte will score. Still, this team’s maturity, discipline, and culture are impressive, and they really buy into the idea of “next man up,” making them tough to beat even when injuries are an issue.

Charlotte Hornets Starting Lineup

PG: LaMelo Ball
SG: Terry Rozier
SF: Kelly Oubre Jr.
PF: Miles Bridges
C: Mason Plumlee

Charlotte Hornets Analysis

Charlotte has to turn it around quickly before its season is ruined. The Hornets are in ninth place in the Eastern Conference right now and merely one-half of a game ahead of the Atlanta Hawks and two games ahead of the Washington Wizards. While Washington is not nearly as much of a concern, the Hawks threaten the Hornets’ post-season chances. If they continue to lose games while Atlanta improves, the Hawks may push them out of the playoff picture. For most of the season, Charlotte’s defense has been a concern, but its offensive firepower had covered up some of those issues for a while. Now that the Hornets have struggled offensively, they don’t have much chemistry on the floor, and players can get frustrated easier when shots are not falling.

Miami Heat vs. Charlotte Hornets Daily Fantasy Picks

Scary Terry has been getting a ton of offensive volume recently and making the most of it. Rozier has posted an average of 28.3 points, 8.3 assists, and seven rebounds in his past three games, which are undoubtedly All-Star caliber statistics. Even though the Hornets have been struggling, dropping eight of their past nine, Rozier has stayed the course. He has been the most reliable source of scoring for the Hornets for most of the season, evidenced by his 19.0 points per game average. Scary Terry’s ability to impact the game in other ways has also helped improve his DFS output. He has become an impressive rebounder and passer, especially in the past month. Rozier has averaged six assists and five rebounds in his past 15 games! Consider plugging Terry into your lineup if you have enough budget, as Charlotte will have to continue to dip into the well to get over this scoring slump it is in.

With Tyler Herro ruled out and Jimmy Butler questionable for tomorrow’s game, this could be a game where Gabe Vincent or Max Strus steps up. In the absence of key impact players, Vincent and Strus have stepped up throughout the course of the 2021-22 NBA season, providing valuable offense to this Miami team. Max Strus is one player in particular to highlight; he averages almost six minutes more per game when Tyler Herro does not play. His offensive numbers skyrocket when you add Jimmy Butler to that list. If Butler joins Herro on the inactive list for this matchup, Strus will be a great player in DFS.