The Miami Heat host the Philadelphia 76ers, Monday April 18th, for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Quarter Finals. The Heat have a 1-0 lead in the best of seven series and has won eight straight over the Sixers. NBA oddsmakers have the Heat as -9.5 point home favourites over the 76ers with the over/under set at 189 points. Be sure to check the 76ers vs Heat NBA Point Spreads and get your predictions in early.
P
hiladelphia (0-1) will try to avoid dropping another game to Miami, considering the Philadelphia franchise has lost all 16 series in which it's faced an 0-2 deficit, but it didn't show. "The younger guys, they're not getting frustrated. They don't even get it. They're happy to be here, out here playing," said 76ers forward Elton Brand. "The older guys, we're saying we need to attack the rim. We need to put the onus on the refs to call it." A big reason for their loss was allowing the Heat to shoot from the foul line. Miami holds a 127-61 lead in free throws taken in its series with Philadelphia this season, including a 39-15 edge in Game 1. "You've got to put that ball on the deck and drive in there and you've got to get some contact," Philadelphia coach Doug Collins said. "So we're going to keep trying to do that. That's obviously an area we'd like to be better. But we scored 42 points in the paint yesterday, so it wasn't like we were launching jumpers." Fouls — for and against — have been a season-long issue for the Sixers. They were 26th in the 30-team NBA in free throws taken this season, while Miami ranked third in that department. And while the 76ers had three players get called for fouls more than 200 times during the regular season, Wade was Miami's leader with 197. On a positive note, Philadelphia held all three of Miami's stars to under 50 percent shooting Saturday, with James going 4 for 14 and Bosh 8 for 17. James and Bosh did combine for 25 rebounds and a 22-for-25 showing at the foul line.
Miami (1-0) took game 1, 97-89 at home, as top scorer Chris Bosh poured in 25pts. But what’s the bigger story is the health of Dwayne Wade. Wade did not practice Sunday because of symptoms of a migraine, a problem that has plagued him for years and kept him out of a game earlier this season. His status for Game 2 is unclear, prompting at least some mild concern for the Heat. "He'll be here," predicted Heat forward LeBron James. Wade told the team that he felt a headache coming on Saturday afternoon, but still managed playing 35 minutes without any obvious discomfort. Wade scored 17 points in that game, five of them in the final 1:34 as the Heat held off a huge comeback attempt by the 76ers. "We'll have to see how he feels at the end of the day," Spoelstra said. "We really wanted to be proactive right now and keep him rested and take medicine and we'll go from there." If Wade cannot go on Monday, the Sixers obviously catch a huge break. And if Wade does play, he may have to wear goggles again to protect his eyes from bright lights — one major migraine trigger. Wade wore goggles with an orange tint when Miami faced the New York Knicks on Jan. 27, around the time of his last known fight with migraines. He made 13 straight shots from the field during one stretch of that game, finishing with 34 points in a 93-88 loss. The Heat were held to under 50 percent shooting Saturday, with James going 4 for 14 and Bosh 8 for 17. James and Bosh did combine for 25 rebounds and a 22-for-25 showing at the foul line.
Recent Trends to Consider:
Under is 12-5-1 in the last 18 meetings.
Home team is 17-8 ATS in the last 25 meetings.
76ers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 playoff games as an underdog.
76ers are 13-5 ATS in their last 18 vs. NBA Southeast.
76ers are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 Conference Quarterfinals games.
Heat are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games as a home favorite.
Heat are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 playoff games as a favorite of 5.0-10.5.
Heat are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 Conference Quarterfinals games.
Heat are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.
76ers vs Heat
When: Monday, April 18, 7:00 PM ET
Pick: Heat -9.5
Point-Spreads.com recommends you check out NBA Point Spreads before 76ers vs Heat game.
The Bottom Line: If Wade is out, the Sixers will cover. Be sure to check 76ers vs Heat Basketball Point Spreads and get your predictions in early.
