The Charlotte Hornets (3-5) and Miami Heat (4-4) will meet in the group stage of the NBA Cup on Friday night. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. ET from the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. The game will broadcast live on FDSSUN.
The Heat are 7-point favorites over the Hornets on the spread (Heat -7), with the over/under set at 235 total points. Miami is a -240 favorite to win outright on the moneyline, while Charlotte is +205 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Hornets vs. Heat predictions and NBA picks for Friday, November 7.
Hornets vs Heat Prediction, Picks
- Hornets vs Heat pick: Hornets +7 (-110)
My Hornets vs Heat best bet is on Charlotte to cover the spread, with the best price currently available at bet365. But as always, make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NBA odds page.
Hornets vs Heat Odds for Friday, November 7
| Hornets Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+7 -110 | 235 -110o / -110u | +205 |
| Heat Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-7 -110 | 235 -110o / -110u | -240 |
Charlotte Hornets vs Miami Heat NBA Cup Preview
I'm throwing some of my Heat metrics out the window because Bam Adebayo is out.
Ethan Skolnick of 5 Reasons Sports would say that, during the previous iteration of Heat basketball, Bam set the floor and Jimmy Butler raised the ceiling.
Now, Bam has had to do both, but he's out with a toe sprain.
He's only day-to-day but will miss at least Friday's game.
As for the Hornets, Brandon Miller, Grant Williams, and Josh Green are all out due to injury, while LaMelo Ball is questionable.
Hornets vs Heat Betting Predictions, Analysis
Hornets +7 / Hornets Moneyline
Michael Fiddle, our market reader, projected Charlotte to be in the +6 range without LaMelo, and closer to a one-possession spread (+3 or so) if he's active.
I like Charlotte to cover here.
I think Bam matters that much — he is their defense. He's a walking top-10 defense. And in many ways, he's also their offense.
He's not their best scorer, necessarily, but he's often the guy who makes everything work because of his versatility.
He dribbles, distributes, screens (less so this year), rolls, cuts, rebounds, shoots (now), and overall, he leads.
I'm waiting on the injury report, but either way, my lean is Charlotte.
If Ball plays, I'll sprinkle their moneyline. If he's out, I'll take the spread if it’s +6 or better.
Moussa Diabate Over 14.5 Points + Rebounds
Prop wise, I'll add two.
First, Moussa Diabate Over 14.5 Points + Rebounds (-120, bet365).
Diabate is the Hornets' backup center behind Ryan Kalkbrenner, which is advantageous here.
He avoids Bam completely but will face a thin frontcourt once Miami goes to its bench.
Ware and Adebayo are the team's only centers. Nikola Jovic, who hasn't popped yet, isn't a true five.
Vlad Goldin is on a two-way contract and might have to play out of necessity, but he's a stiff who struggled in Summer League and preseason.
Diabate is averaging 20 minutes per game and has gone over 14.5 PR in five of eight games, averaging 10.4 points and about seven boards.
Jaime Jaquez Over 24.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists
Also, we're back on Jaime Jaquez Over 24.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists. Too low.
This was my favorite play last game and he smashed it again — it was at 19.5.
Yes, Adebayo was out, but he's been crushing his PRA this year regardless.
Jaquez has reached 25 or more PRA in five of his last seven games and should have even more opportunities now while serving as Miami's sixth man against one of the league's worst defenses.
Hornets vs Heat Best Bets
- Hornets +7 / Hornets ML
- Moussa Diabate Over 14.5 Points + Rebounds
- Jaime Jaquez Over 24.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists
Heat vs Hornets Betting Trends
For the latest on NBA injuries, be sure to check out our NBA Injury Report page.
