Halftime Report

Only two more quarters stand between the Heat and the victory they were favored to collect coming into this evening. They have a bit of a cushion as they currently lead the Hornets 52-31.

If the Heat keep playing like this, they’ll bump their record up to 23-16 in no time. On the other hand, the Hornets will have to make due with an 8-29 record unless they turn things around (and fast).

Who’s Playing

Charlotte Hornets @ Miami Heat

Current Records: Charlotte 8-28, Miami 22-16

How To Watch

• When: Sunday, January 14, 2024 at 6 p.m. ET
• Where: Kaseya Center — Miami, Florida
• TV: Bally Sports SE Charlotte
• Follow: CBS Sports App
• Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
• Ticket Cost: $50.00

What to Know

The Hornets are 2-8 against the Heat since February of 2022 but they’ll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Sunday. The Charlotte Hornets will head out on the road to face off against the Miami Heat at 6:00 p.m. ET at Kaseya Center. Neither of these teams found much success offensively their last time out, scoring well below their season average.

The Hornets’ recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Friday after their fourth straight loss. They took a serious blow against San Antonio, falling 135-99. The Hornets were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 66-45.

The Hornets’ loss came about despite a quality game from LaMelo Ball, who scored 28 points along with five assists and five steals. Those five steals set a new season-high mark for him.

Even though they lost, the Hornets were smashing the offensive glass and finished the game with 16 offensive rebounds. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as the Spurs only pulled down seven offensive rebounds.

Meanwhile, Miami sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 99-96 victory over Orlando on Friday. Kudos to the oddsmakers for accurately forecasting both the winner and the close margin.

Charlotte has traveled a rocky road recently, as they’ve lost 15 of their last 16 matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 8-28 record this season. As for Miami, their victory bumped their record up to 22-16.

The Hornets are hoping to beat the odds on Sunday, as the experts think they’re headed for a loss. This contest will be their 23rd straight as the underdogs (so far over this stretch they are 8-14 against the spread).

This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: The Hornets haven’t given up the ball easily this season, having only averaged 13.2 turnovers per game. However, it’s not like the Heat struggle in that department as they’ve been averaging only 12.4 turnovers per game. Given these competing strengths, it’ll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.

Odds

Miami is a big 8-point favorite against Charlotte, according to the latest NBA odds.

The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Heat as a 7.5-point favorite.

The over/under is set at 223.5 points.

See NBA picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get picks now.

Series History

Miami has won 8 out of their last 10 games against Charlotte.

• Dec 13, 2023 – Miami 115 vs. Charlotte 104
• Dec 11, 2023 – Miami 116 vs. Charlotte 114
• Nov 14, 2023 – Miami 111 vs. Charlotte 105
• Feb 25, 2023 – Charlotte 108 vs. Miami 103
• Jan 29, 2023 – Charlotte 122 vs. Miami 117
• Nov 12, 2022 – Miami 132 vs. Charlotte 115
• Nov 10, 2022 – Miami 117 vs. Charlotte 112
• Apr 05, 2022 – Miami 144 vs. Charlotte 115
• Feb 17, 2022 – Miami 111 vs. Charlotte 107
• Feb 05, 2022 – Miami 104 vs. Charlotte 86