Miami Heat vs Oklahoma City Thunder Prediction & Betting Tips - NBA

Prediction published on 10/01/2024, 04:09  by Kennedy Kechula | Modified on 10/01/2024 at 11:30 in NBA Prediction

The Miami Heat will be at home to welcome the Oklahoma City Thunder in their next NBA regular season fixture. Miami is fifth in the Eastern Conference while the Thunder possess the second-best record in the West. The Heat come to this match while in topsy-turvy form. Erik Spoelstra’s men have lost three times in their last five matches and have managed just two wins this year. Their struggles have partly been because they have had to do without Jimmy Butler. Butler, who is the team’s third-leading scorer, hasn’t played a match this year. The hosts earned their 21st win of the season last time out by defeating the Rockets 120-113 at home. Butler will continue to be sidelined with a foot problem while Kyle Lowry and Caleb Martin are ‘Questionable’. The Heat, who possess the ninth-best-ranked defence, have won six straight games against the Thunder.

The Oklahoma City Thunder got back to winning ways last time out thanks to a 136-128 victory over the Wizards. Mike Daigneault’s men had lost the first two matches of their current four-game road trip to the East. They will be hoping to wrap things off with victory and snapping their current losing run against the Heat is extra motivation. OKC have now won 24 of their 35 matches and are 1.5 games below conference leaders Minnesota. The team possesses the fourth-best ranked offence so it will be interesting to see how they will cope with Miami’s defensive strengths. Oklahoma has a cleaner bill of health coming into this match with only Davis Bertans likely to miss out.