One of the few Saturday games in the NBA features the Miami Heat hosting the Dallas Mavericks. Miami is hoping to avoid the play-in tournament while the Mavericks are working hard just to get to the play-in tournament, so both teams need to win this game. Unfortunately for the Heat, they are coming home on the heels of a three-game losing streak. The good news is they’ve won six of their last eight home games and have been strong at home this year behind the trio of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Tyler Herro, who all average over 20 points per game. Meanwhile, the Mavericks head to Miami after losing five of their last six games. The new-look backcourt of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving hasn’t worked out as Dallas hoped, even with Irving averaging over 26 points and nearly six assists per game since being traded to the Mavs. However, Dallas is 5-2 against the spread in its last seven road games while Miami has the worst record against the spread in the NBA this season, which should give the Mavericks a chance to keep it close and steal a road win. To check out the latest spreads and get NBA best bets for every game, check out BetQL, which offers updated odds and picks from our proven computer model.
The second half of the Final Four doubleheader on Saturday features two former Big East rivals, as the Miami Hurricanes face the UConn Huskies. The Huskies are the least-surprising Final Four participant and the only program that’s been on this stage before. More importantly, UConn is a 5.5-point favorite after winning four straight games during the tournament by at least 15 points. In fact, going back to the end of January, the Huskies have won 13 of their last 15 games, losing by three points to Creighton on the road and losing by two points to Marquette in the NCAA Tournament. During that stretch, UConn is 12-3 against the spread. Of course, Miami has put on a show during the Big Dance. The Hurricanes lost four in a row against the spread heading into the NCAA Tournament but are 4-0 ATS during the tournament, including three straight wins as an underdog. Miami is actually 9-2 ATS and 7-4 straight-up as an underdog this season. However, it’s still fair to wonder if the Huskies have been too good and too dominant during the tournament, allowing them to put together another convincing and lopsided win in the Final Four. You can get the latest betting lines and college basketball best bets at BetQL.
