1st Quarter Report
The Wizards are giving their home crowd exactly what they were hoping for. After one quarter, neither squad has the contest in the bag, but the Wizards lead 33-31 over the Heat.
The Wizards came into the match with some extra motivation after the loss they were dealt the last time these two teams faced off. We'll see if they're able to flip the script or if it'll just be more of the same.
Who's Playing
Miami Heat @ Washington Wizards
Current Records: Miami 25-23, Washington 9-38
How To Watch
- When: Friday, February 2, 2024 at 7 p.m. ET
- Where: Capital One Arena -- Washington, District of Columbia
- TV: Monumental Sports Network
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $23.00
What to Know
The Heat have enjoyed a two-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will square off against the Washington Wizards at 7:00 p.m. ET on Friday at Capital One Arena. The Wizards took a loss in their last contest and will be looking to turn the tables on the Heat, who come in off a win.
Winning is just a little bit easier when you work as a team to post 12 more assists than your opponent, a fact the Heat proved on Wednesday. They came out on top against Sacramento by a score of 115-106.
The Heat can attribute much of their success to Jimmy Butler, who scored 31 points along with seven rebounds and six assists. Butler hasn't dropped below 26 points for three straight games. Josh Richardson was another key contributor, going 6 for 10 from beyond the arc en route to 24 points and 3 assists.
Meanwhile, things could have been worse for Washington, but they could have been a whole lot better as they took a 125-109 loss to the Clippers on Wednesday. The Wizards have struggled against the Clippers recently, as their contest on Wednesday was their fifth consecutive lost matchup.
The Wizards struggled to work together and finished the game with only 19 assists. They are winless (0-4) when they just don't pass the ball.
Miami's victory ended a four-game drought at home and bumped them up to 25-23. As for Washington, their defeat was their ninth straight at home, which dropped their record down to 9-38.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: The Heat haven't given up the ball easily this season, having only averaged 12.3 turnovers per game. However, it's not like the Wizards struggle in that department as they've been averaging only 13.4 turnovers per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Going forward, the Heat are the favorite in this one, as the experts expect to see them win by 8.5 points. Bettors picking them against the spread have some confidence (to put it mildly), as the team is sitting on a three-game streak of failing to cover when playing on the road.
Odds
Miami is a big 8.5-point favorite against Washington, 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 8-point favorite.
The over/under is set at 227 points.
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Series History
Miami has won 7 out of their last 10 games against Washington.
- Nov 03, 2023 - Miami 121 vs. Washington 114
- Apr 07, 2023 - Washington 114 vs. Miami 108
- Nov 25, 2022 - Miami 110 vs. Washington 107
- Nov 23, 2022 - Miami 113 vs. Washington 105
- Nov 18, 2022 - Washington 107 vs. Miami 106
- Feb 07, 2022 - Miami 121 vs. Washington 100
- Dec 28, 2021 - Miami 119 vs. Washington 112
- Nov 20, 2021 - Washington 103 vs. Miami 100
- Nov 18, 2021 - Miami 112 vs. Washington 97
- Feb 05, 2021 - Miami 122 vs. Washington 95