MIAMI, FLORIDA – JANUARY 01: Herbert Jones #2 of the New Orleans Pelicans drives against Tyler Herro #14 of the Miami Heat during the fourth quarter of the game at Kaseya Center on January 01, 2025 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
The Miami Heat are looking to bounce back after a 119-111 road loss to the Chicago Bulls.
Miami is 36-44 and sits tenth in the Eastern Conference standings. The Heat currently hold the fourth and final Play-In Tournament spot and still have a chance to move up to the second spot, but they would need to win their last two games and get some help. Lately, Miami has mixed high-scoring wins with close losses.
The New Orleans Pelicans are 21-59 and second-to-last in the Western Conference. They've lost five straight games, and about two-thirds of their roster is injured. Two of those losses were close, while the other three were blowouts. Their defense has been trending downward.
Spread
- Heat -13.5 (-110)
- Pelicans +13.5 (-110)
Moneyline
- Heat -800
- Pelicans +580
Total
- OVER 214.5 (-105)
- UNDER 215.5 (-110)
*The above data was collected on April 11, 2025, and may have changed since writing.
Heat vs Pelicans Betting Trends
- Miami is 9-3 ATS in their last 12 games.
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of Miami's last 5 games.
- Miami is 7-3 SU in their last 10 games.
- New Orleans are 0-5 SU in their last 5 games.
- The total has gone UNDER in 10 of New Orleans' last 13 games against Miami.
- New Orleans are 1-8 ATS in their last 9 games when playing at home against Miami.
Heat vs Pelicans Injury Reports
Miami Heat
- Alec Burks, SG - Day-to-day, probable for game
- Isaiah Stevens, G - Out, questionable for game
- Nikola Jovic, F - Out
- Pelle Larsson, G - Out
- Kevin Love, PF - Out
- Tyler Herro, PG - Day-to-day
New Orleans
- Bruce Brown, SF - Out
- Yves Missi, C - Out
- Jose Alvarado, PG - Out
- Kelly Olynyk, PF - Out
- Jordan Hawkins, G - Out
- Brandon Boston, SG - Out
- CJ McCollum, SG - Out
- Zion Williamson, PF - Out
- Trey Murphy III, SG - Out
- Herbert Jones, SF - Out
- Dejounte Murray, SG - Out
Heat vs Pelicans Predictions and Picks
The Heat tip off against the Pelicans in this Eastern vs. Western Conference matchup. Miami is 7-3 in their last ten games and 16-23 on the road. The Heat have been playing well on both ends of the floor and have put up consistent scoring numbers, despite ranking sixth-lowest in the league in overall scoring.
In their loss to the Bulls, Miami led by five after the first quarter but was outscored by 11 in the second. The second half featured a mix of scoring and defensive runs. The Heat shot 47% from the field and kept pace in threes and free throws. Improving their ball control could lead to more efficient shooting overall.
The Pelicans are 2-8 in their last ten games and 14-25 at home. While their offense has been inconsistent, they've had some close contests at home recently. New Orleans ranks as the seventh-lowest scoring team in the league and will be looking to play spoiler to Miami's Play-In seeding hopes.
In their last game, the Pelicans fell to the Milwaukee Bucks on the road, 136-111. New Orleans had a solid defensive first quarter, but the Bucks' offense exploded the rest of the way. The Pelicans shot 42% from the field, made 15 threes, and turned the ball over 16 times. They'll aim to keep their outside shooting going and take better care of the basketball.
Best Bet: Over
Both of these teams are pretty banged up, but the Pelicans' offense is still putting up decent numbers. Turnovers on both sides could lead to easy points, and three-pointers may come in bunches. Miami will look to have a strong first half and get the scoring going early, as they still have Play-In seeding on the line.
