Scoreboard	1	2	3	4	Odds
Indiana Pacers 45-28	27	29	34	25	+213.5
Miami Heat 44-29	34	40	20	30	-5

Scoreboard

Odds

Indiana Pacers 45-28

+213.5

Miami Heat 44-29

-5

NBA
Charlie Grant
August 21, 2020

Pacers vs. Heat Game 3 Prediction: NBA Odds, Point Spread

Oddsmakers list Indiana as a 5-point underdog in essentially a do-or-die game.

NBA Point Spread and Betting Analysis

Sometimes a team just has your number. That might be the case for the Pacers who have lost five of their six games against the Miami Heat this season – including the first two in the series. Indiana is 1-4 against the spread in its last five games against the Heat.

The club generally bounces back well after setbacks. The Pacers are 5-1 ATS in their last six games coming off an ATS loss. Of course, that didn’t work out for them in Game 2. The Under is a trend worth following for Indiana. The club has played below the total in five straight contests and the Under is a perfect 4-0 in the last four meetings with Miami.

The Heat are huge favourites to finish off the Pacers now that they have a 2-0 lead. SIA lists them as a -233 moneyline favourite in Game 3. That means you’d have to risk $233 to win $100 on the Heat to win the game outright.

Most bettors are taking the Heat on the spread. About 80 percent of SIA players are backing Miami to cover as 5-point chalk. Erik Spoelstra’s group is 4-0 in its last four games as a playoff favourite.

Indiana Pacers

Head coach Nate McMillan says there will be no changes to his approach to Game 3 despite the 0-2 deficit. Pacer beat writers are wondering why he wouldn’t consider shortening his bench.

Indiana is rolling with a nine-man rotation which includes the likes of Doug McDermott and T.J. McConnell. They own a combined -29 plus/minus in the series first two games.

Miami Heat

Duncan Robinson was the Game 2 hero for Miami. The sharp-shooting second-year forward scored 24 points in Game 2 on 7-for-8 shooting from the field (all from 3-point land). He set a club record for most made triples in a season with 270 this year.

It was a rebound performance for Robinson who registered just six points in 24 minutes of action in Game 1. Veteran guard Goran Dragic is encouraging Robinson to shoot anytime the youngster gets any space around the arc.