Miami Heat @ Cleveland Cavaliers
While Super Bowl betting is still the hot topic, there is a spicy matchup in the NBA with two of the top players going head to head. When the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers meet on Thursday February 4, the game will feature the first and fifth pick from the 2003 draft. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade are free agents in the summer and while it is unknown where they will end up, both franchises know that it will go a long way in keeping their stars if they finish the season with playoff berths. While Cleveland (39-11) looks well on its way to finishing atop the Eastern Conference, Miami (24-24) has struggled of late dropping four of five heading into last night's game against Boston.
Primetime Performers
Heat: Leading the team in points, assists, steals and free-throws, Dwyane Wade is the heart and soul of this team. Having his numbers slip in the last couple games due to injuries to Jermaine O'Neal and Michael Beasley, allowing defences to focus on him, the Heat have struggled being held under 92 points in four of their last five. Miami will need him on track if they have any hopes of winning this game.
Cavaliers: LeBron James is on a very short list in the argument of best player in the league today. Averaging 29.3 points, 8.2 assists and 7.1 rebounds, which are below his career bests, he is the reason this team has the best record in the league. James has exploded as of late, throwing down 30 or more in nine of his past 13 games which is just what Cleveland wants to see.
X-Factors
Heat: Michael Beasley has come into his own this year after struggling on and off the court in his first season out of Kansas State. The 6'10" power forward is averaging 16 points and 6.7 boards and is even better on the road, scoring over 17 points per game. People providing betting services know that if O'Neal is unable to play, due to his wonky back, then the Heat will need a big performance by Beasley.
Cavaliers: After starting the season as a backup, Daniel Gibson has been thrust into the starting line up of a contender team in the past week due to the injuries to Mo Williams and Delonte West. In the six games since becoming a starter, he is averaging 13.5 points, 2.3 assists and 2 boards, up from his averages of 6.7, 1.2 and 1.1. With Williams out and West day-to-day, he will have to log heavy minutes and perform well to take some of the pressure off of LeBron.
The Matchup
While the matchup between Wade and LeBron is great and entertaining one, this game will not be. Cleveland is just too good for Miami to stick with and there is not enough that Wade can do to keep the Heat in this game. In the last meeting, in Miami, LeBron had to save the Cavs with some clutch free-throws to preserve a 92-91 win. James and Wade each tallied 32 points in what was a hotly contested game however with Miami's injuries, people setting betting lines know that this game could get out of hand quickly.
