Miami Heat vs Indiana Pacers: Prediction, Starting Lineups and Betting Tips | April 7, 2024

With a likely guaranteed ticket to the playoffs at stake, the Miami Heat will invade the Indiana Pacers’ homecourt for a showdown. The winner will get the sixth spot and win the season series, which could turn out to be a huge deciding factor in the jockeying for postseason slots. Tyler Herro and Terry Rozier have been cleared to play, a piece of news that will surely excite Heat Nation.

The Pacers have ruled Tyrese Haliburton and Jalen Smith questionable but with a game of this magnitude, both are likely suiting up. Rick Carlisle’s team, unsurprisingly, plays better in front of their fans than on the road. They will have a stranglehold on the sixth spot and a guaranteed playoff berth if they can fend off the surging visitors.

After getting shelved for 20 games due to right foot tendinitis, Tyler Herro showed little rust in his return two nights ago versus the Houston Rockets. Erik Spoelstra told reporters that he hoped Herro could sustain that form in a much bigger game than the one they had on Friday.

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Miami Heat vs Indiana Pacers: Preview, prediction and betting tips

Gainbridge Fieldhouse will host the encounter between the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers. Bally Sports Indiana and Bally Sports Sun will cover the game live locally. Basketball fans can also stream the action by subscribing to the NBA League Pass.

Moneyline: Heat (-105) vs. Pacers (-115)

Spread: Heat (+1.0) vs. Pacers (-1.0)

Total (O/U): Heat (o225.0 -110) vs. Pacers (u225.0 -110)

Editor’s Note: The odds could change closer to the game. The odds listed were as per available information at the time of the writing.

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Miami Heat vs Indiana Pacers: Game preview

Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra has been telling reporters that they will try to go as high as they can in the Eastern Conference ladder. They could grab hold of the next rung which is the sixth spot in their conference and hang on to it for an outright playoff berth. All the Heat have to do is beat the tough Pacers on the road, a task that will not be easy to accomplish.

The Indiana Pacers have expressed their confidence of having a strong finishing kick as the regular season winds down. They are raring to take on their closest pursuers and try to end their opponents’ chance of overtaking them in the standings.

Tyrese Haliburton and his teammates fell way short in the NBA In-Season Tournament Finals, their previous biggest game of the season. They will be looking forward to playing well on Sunday against the veteran and poised Heat.

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Miami Heat vs Indiana Pacers: Starting lineups, subs and rotation

F - Duncan Robinson, F - Nikola Jovic, SF - Jimmy Butler, C - Bam Adebayo and SG - Terry Rozier will start for the Miami Heat.

Tyler Herro will likely resume his role as the team’s sixth man. He could replace Robinson or Jovic to join the starters.

PF - Pascal Siakam, SF - Aaron Nesmith, C - Myles Turner, PG - Andrew Nembhard and PG - Tyrese Haliburton will likely open the game for the Indiana Pacers.

Obi Toppin could come in to shore up the frontline by taking out Nesmith or Nembhard. How Erik Spoelstra’s team will play could dictate how Rick Carlisle adjusts his substitutions.

Editor’s Note: These are predicted starting lineups, which could change depending on the availability of players uncertain to play.

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Miami Heat vs Indiana Pacers: Betting tips

Pascal Siakam has a 21.5 over/under points prop on Sunday. The Pacers will need “Spicy P” to be aggressive on offense for them to have a chance of winning the game. Tyrese Haliburton will unquestionably try to get him early and often. Siakam will likely get over his points prop.

Terry Rozier’s role with the Miami Heat has only grown since he was acquired before the trade deadline. This month, he is averaging 23.0 PPG and has carried the Heat offense on several occasions. With the way he has been playing, he could top his 15.5 over/under points prop on Sunday.

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Miami Heat vs Indiana Pacers: Prediction

The Heat have proven that they can win on the road against the best teams. Indiana hasn’t done so yet and might not be up to that task yet. The Pacers should have learned their lessons after the spanking the LA Lakers gave them in the finals of the NBA In-Season Tournament. Still, at this stage, Jimmy Butler’s group is built for this kind of high-stakes showdown.

Miami could eke out a win in a slam-bang affair on Sunday.