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Basketball Betting – Heat Try to Cool Down Rampaging Blazers

  • Updated: January 8, 2015
    • Basketball Betting Heat Try to Cool Down Rampaging Blazers

    By Charles Jay

    Are there better times ahead for the Miami Heat? Or is this season going to be the precursor to a rebuilding project from Pat Riley that essentially signals that the team will not be a serious contender for a couple of years? That is most certainly an issue for BetAnySports to consider at some point, but for the moment there is a game against the Portland Trail Blazers, who will play host to the defending Eastern Conference champions in NBA betting action that is scheduled to begin at 10:35 PM ET on Thursday night at the Moda Center.

    While the Heat have been losers in thirteen of their last 19 games, and four of their last five, the Blazers have been, well, ablaze, winning ten of their last twelve and moving into second position in the West, just a game and a half behind the Golden State Warriors. This is a team that is extremely stingy against long-range shooting teams, holding them to 29% from three-point range.

    In the NBA Basketball betting odds that have been placed on this game by the folks at BetAnySports, the Blazers are solid favorites:

    Portland Trail Blazers -9
    Miami Heat +9

    Over 198.5 points -110
    Under 198.5 points -110

    As everybody is aware, the absence of LeBron James has created a major void with the Heat. For the last couple of seasons, the “Big Three” was really the “Big One” with supporting players. Both Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh are averaging over 20 points a game right now, but there is not enough depth on hand to make Miami (15-20 straight-up, 16-19 against the basketball pointspread) a real threat to anybody.

    Portland is listed at +1600 in the NBA futures at BetAnySports, but the Blazers still have a long way to go; they know that even though they could find themselves with home court advantage in a first-round playoff series, for them to get through the arduous playoff schedule they are going to have to have at least eight dependable members of the rotation. For the last two seasons they have been last in the NBA in bench scoring, and this season they are 25th.

    There is admittedly very little hope for the Heat to repeat as the winners of the East. They are listed at +8500 in the basketball betting odds at BetAnySports to get through the conference and make the Finals again.

    But they might be able to pull a surprise on Thursday if Hassan Whiteside is able to give Bosh some support down low. Whiteside, who was a record-setting shot-blocker at Marshall, swatted away four Brooklyn attempts last time out, and has scored in double digits in each of the last two games. This is an intimidator with some size (Whiteside is a 7-footer), and that is something the Heat have lacked.

    Clearly something has to be done on defense to deal with LaMarcus Aldridge, who is the man the Blazers turn to for points in the paint. Aldridge missed the last meeting between these clubs, but the Blazers covered as a 6.5-point underdog at American Airlines Arena back in March., In the last two encounters, Portland has launched 65 three-point shots. If Whiteside is effective, they may be forced to the outside once again.

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    Summary
    Basketball Betting Heat Try to Cool Down Rampaging Blazers
    Article Name
    Basketball Betting - Heat Try to Face Rampaging Blazers
    Description
    A preview of Thursday's NBA game between the Miami Heat and Portland Trail Blazers, taking place in Portland - Basketball Betting at BetAnySports.
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