Miami Heat vs Charlotte Hornets 2/5/22: Starting Lineups, Matchup Preview, Betting Odds, Predictions

Miami Heat vs. Charlotte Hornets Matchup Preview (2/5/22)

The never-healthy Miami Heat will be facing off against the All-Star-less Charlotte Hornets in a high-powered matchup between two playoff hopefuls on Saturday night. The Heat may finally have everyone, save Victor Oladipo and Markieff Morris, healthy in their lineup, which has fared well for them so far this season. Miami is still in second place in the Eastern Conference despite its injury troubles throughout the season, and it would be in first place had it not dropped three of its past four games. Still, this team is no joke, and these are the types of games they have won all season long, regardless of who is in the lineup.

The Charlotte Hornets stand at eighth in the Eastern Conference at the moment, but the Boston Celtics are quickly closing in on them after rattling off several straight wins. Boston’s defense looks superb at the moment, but the offense is still an issue at times. For Charlotte to separate itself from being a potential play-in team, it will have to lock down better on defense. When the Hornets don’t shoot well, they have very little chance to win because of how many easy buckets they give up on the other end. They need to find a nice balance between playing at a fast pace and getting back on defense and strapping down when needed. This game should be tight the whole way, so look at my analysis below to see who to back!

Miami Heat vs. Charlotte Hornets Betting Odds

I love taking the Miami Heat against the spread in this matchup. The Hornets are fresh off giving Jarrett Allen a career game, so what do you think that means for Bam Adebayo? Additionally, the Heat have their starting lineup back, which means this team will be motivated to prove they are one of the best, regardless of conference, when healthy. I’ll take Miami ATS in this matchup, despite being on the road.

TV Schedule

Date: 2/5/22
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

Miami currently stands at second in a competitive and tight Eastern Conference. What is most impressive about this feat is the fact that the Heat have had their usual starting lineup for merely 15 games, which is less than a third of their total games this season. In those 15 games, Miami boasts a 10-5 record, which is extremely respectable in such a competitive conference. While Miami does not score a ton of points, it does rank sixth in offensive efficiency, seventh in eFG% (effective field goal percentage) and third in 3P% (three-point percentage.) The Heat also hold opposing offenses at bay, ranking fifth in opponent points per game and eighth in defensive efficiency. They can improve on their closeouts and contests, though, as they are middle-of-the-road in opponent eFG% and opponent 3P%. All things considered, this team is dangerous, especially when they are all healthy. Look for Miami to force opposing teams to lower percentages and points than they are used to while imposing its dominance on the offensive end.

Charlotte Hornets Starting Lineup

PG: LaMelo Ball
SG: Terry Rozier
SF: Gordon Hayward
PF: Miles Bridges
C: Mason Plumlee

Charlotte Hornets Analysis

There was bound to be a time when the Charlotte Hornets got cold. When you don’t play any defense, this is a natural outcome because the shots won’t always fall. Charlotte took a rough home loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers, who were without All-Star Darius Garland and forward Lauri Markkanen. The Hornets struggle against opposing bigs, which was put on full display by Jarrett Allen. With incredible efficiency, Allen dropped a 20-20 game with points and rebounds. Still, the Hornets showed resiliency and fortitude by overcoming a double-digit deficit to make it a competitive game. This is a bad matchup for Charlotte, but anything can happen in an incredibly competitive Eastern Conference.

Miami Heat vs. Charlotte Hornets Daily Fantasy Picks

LaMelo Ball was sadly not named to the All-Star team after such an impressive sophomore year, but that does not mean he won’t continue his fantastic season. Ball has put together remarkable averages, posting roughly 20 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds on a nightly basis. The Charlotte Hornets have improved substantially over the past two years, and while Ball is not necessarily 100% of the reason, he attributes to a high percentage. Charlotte can build around Ball in the long-term, and it already has plenty of solid pieces to complement him. Additionally, for DFS purposes, you should consider plugging Ball into your lineup merely because he has had two triple-doubles in his past eight games. The speed of the NBA is constantly slowing down for Ball after each game, and it is showing in his statistics. While Miami is a solid defensive team, I don’t think it can contain LaMelo with the way he has been playing.

How risky are you willing to get with this game? If your answer is very, then bare with me here. At best, Duncan Robinson has had a streaky year, averaging roughly 12 points, three rebounds, and two assists per game on 40% from the field and 36% from behind the arc. Robinson has shot the ball much better in prior years, so hopefully, he can turn it around in this second half of the year. In Robinson’s past eight games, he has a shooting split of 50/45/83. Additionally, Robinson has posted games with 16, 17, 19, 25, and 25 points in that span, proving he has started to rise from his shooting slump. Robinson has value in DFS, especially if you can predict one of his massive 25-point nights and plug him into your lineup. This could be one of those games as the Hornets’ defense is in the bottom ten in the league.