Heat vs Cavaliers NBA Pick: Can Miami Extend The Series To Five Games? (Apr 28)

• After notching two road wins to qualify for the postseason, time may be running out for the Miami Heat.
• Meanwhile, on the heels of a dominant performance, the Cleveland Cavaliers look to close out the series.
• These teams last played on Apr. 26, with the Cavaliers cruising to a blowout victory.

One of the games on Monday’s NBA slate features the Miami Heat hosting the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 4 of a first-round Eastern Conference playoff series. Can Miami force a Game 5 in our Heat vs Cavaliers pick?

Heat-Cavaliers Game 3 Recap

After dropping the first two games, the Heat hoped to get back into the series in Game 3, but things did not according to plan. Far from it in fact. Not only did the Cavaliers win the game, they crushed Miami to the tune of 124-87.

Bam Adebayo was one of four starters who reached double figures. He scored a team-high 22 points and collected nine rebounds. But he also had an uncharacteristic six turnovers.

Davion Mitchell had a solid outing, finishing with 16 points, five assists and four rebounds on 7-of-11 shooting from the field. Tyler Herro and Andrew Wiggins added 13 and 10 points, respectively.

On the other side of the matchup, the Cavaliers’ offense featured six double-digit scorers. Jarrett Allen led the way, scoring 22 points and pulling down 10 rebounds.

Evan Mobley—the league’s Defensive Player of the Year—finished with 19 points and six rebounds.

Miami jumped out to a 15-6 lead before everything went south. Cleveland responded with a 33-5 run, flipping a nine-point deficit into a 19-point advantage. Thanks to that game-changing surge, the Cavaliers led by a comfortable 62-42 margin at the break and were never threatened the rest of the way.

Cleveland’s defense held Miami to 42.1 percent shooting overall, and turned 11 turnovers into 21 points. The Cavaliers won the rebounding battle 46-29 and outscored the Heat 60-30 in the paint.

Heat vs Cavaliers Pick: Can Miami Stave Off Elimination In Game 4 Of This First-Round Matchup?

Facing an 0-3 deficit, can Miami extend the series? Here’s a look at a few betting trends for both sides heading into Game 4.

• The Heat are 15-5 straight-up (SU) in their last 20 home games against Cleveland.
• Miami is 1-4 against the spread in its previous five games at home.
• The Cavaliers are 16-4 in their last 20 outings against Eastern Conference opponents.
• Cleveland has covered the spread five times in its previous six Monday matchups.

With their season on the line, look for the Heat to play with a sense of urgency. However, Cleveland has already proven to be the superior team and this group will wrap up the series when these teams clash on Monday night.