NBA Basketball
2026-03-17 - Miami Heat at Charlotte Hornets
A Sports Betting Pick by FirstDown
United States : NBA Basketball
Tuesday 17th March 2026 - Scheduled 7pm
11pm (British Time)
Preview
The end of the NBA regular season is fast approaching and the Charlotte Hornets (34-34) have lost some momentum after falling in three of the last five games played. They remain firmly on course for a spot in the Play In Tournament with fourteen regular season games remaining and holding a 5.5 game lead over the Milwaukee Bucks, but that loss of consistency in the last couple of weeks means the team is now 4.5 games out of the top six places in the Eastern Conference.
The next two weeks could be hugely important to where the Hornets finish up as they begin a long home run beginning with a game against the Miami Heat (38-30).
After seeing a seven game winning run ended on Saturday with a defeat at the Orlando Magic, the Miami Heat should be well rested and they remain just 3 games behind the Number 4 Seed in the Eastern Conference. However, if the season was to end today, the Heat would be the Number 7 Seed and the focus for this gritty team is to force their way into the top six by the end of the regular season and avoid the unnecessary drama of the Play In Tournament.
The seven game winning run was put together with consistent and balanced performances on both ends of the court and this Heat team can get really hot from the field when at their best. They have been lining up and knocking down plenty of three pointers, but there is a balance to the Offensive approach taken and plenty of energy around the boards that can create second chance opportunities.
Those opportunities can be a huge factor in games like this and especially against a Charlotte team that have just lost their way a little bit, especially Offensively.
A strong run was put together either side of the All Star Break thanks to some strong shooting from the three point arc- the Hornets are still hitting plenty of those, but about half of the Field Goal attempts are from long range and that does put pressure on Charlotte to improve the recent 37% mark from beyond the arc.
On Tuesday they are facing a Miami Defensive unit that challenge those three point shooters and that could be key for the underdog in this one.
The Heat will be needing to be active around the glass to make sure the Hornets are one and done if they are choosing to try and hurt Miami with the three ball.
If they can do that, the Miami Heat have to be confident in producing a fourth win in a row against the Charlotte Hornets.
Earlier this month, the Miami Heat beat the Charlotte Hornets for a third time in three tries in 2025/26 and that was a game in which Miami hit 47% of the three point shots compared with 37% for the Hornets. The Heat also limited Charlotte to 12 Offensive Rebounds in that one and doing something similar here will give the underdog every chance of earning the upset.
Prediction
Take the points with the road underdog.
The Pick :
Charlotte Hornets 107-111 Miami Heat
