OKC vs Miami NBA Betting Odds
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Miami Heat. Kevin Durant vs. LeBron James. Eastern Conference vs. Western Conference. The storylines are set for Wednesday night’s matchup between the two contenders in opposite conferences, and with the top two MVP candidates set to face off, this is must-see television for any NBA fan. [ad-4468020]
Oklahoma City (36-10) at Miami (32-12)
Wednesday, January 29 7:00 p.m. ET
Spread: Miami -3.5
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Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder weren’t supposed to be this good without Russell Westbrook. The team struggled in the 2013 postseason without its floor general and second-leading scorer, and at the time, it looked as if Kevin Durant, for as good as he is, couldn’t be a No. 1 option without a reliable No. 2.
As it turns out, Durant has put all those thoughts to rest, as the Westsbrook-less Thunder are competing for a top spot out West, while Durant continues to be on an absolute tear.
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At this point in the season, Durant has to be considered the favorite for the league’s Most Valuable Player award.
LeBron James has won the honor four of the last five years, including the last two, but at this pace, it’s Durant’s trophy to lose. The 25-year-old has scored 30 or more points in his last 11 games.
Defensively, the Thunder will have an obvious focus on James.
This is a matchup between two teams that are both top 10 in scoring, as well as points allowed, but the truth is that James and Durant should put on quite a showcase. If the Thunder can slow down the role players for Miami, they’ll be in good shape toward the end of the game.
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Miami Heat
The Miami Heat cannot hope to stop Kevin Durant; they can only hope to contain him.
There’s two mentalities coming into this contest when it comes to slowing down the league’s hottest player. First, Miami could double (or triple) team the small forward in hopes of slowing him down.
The other option is to put him one-on-one while stopping the rest of the Thunder offense.
If the Heat are smart, they’ll concede to the notion that they can stop Durant, admit that no one on the plant can slow him down and focus their attention on the rest of the OKC offense.
Miami has been knocked in the past for not caring about the regular season, but this contest will test that mentality. This may just be one game in an 82-game season, but it’s going to have an NBA Finals atmosphere, as it could very well be a preview of what’s to come in June.
Expect this game to be close all the way, but don’t be shocked if the Heat use home-court advantage and pull away late. Kevin Durant should win the individual battle, but it will be Miami coming out on top of the war.
Prediction: Miami 103 – Oklahoma City 99
