NBA Betting: Full-strength Spurs can inflict another defeat on the Heat

31Mar 2013

NBA

It's the leaders in the East against the best in the West in the NBA on Sky Sports Sunday, as the Miami Heat face the San Antonio Spurs in what could be a regular season preview of the NBA Finals.

Miami Heat @ San Antonio Spurs

The Heat saw their 27-game winning streak ended by the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night, but bounced back with a dominant display against the New Orleans Hornets. LeBron James was pivotal yet again as he helped Erik Spoelstra's team seal the No.1 seed in the Eastern Conference.

James leads Miami in points, rebounds and assists per game, and will arrive at the AT&T Center following a game in which he shot 65% from the field, falling one three-pointer shy of a career-high mark from beyond the arc.

Equally as impressive, San Antonio prepare for their visit off the back of two huge wins against their rivals in the West, just edging close contests against the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers.

Veteran forward Tim Duncan has produced some vintage performances, registering a double-double against the Clippers with 34 points and 11 rebounds. Expect him to be a huge presence on the boards again, while he enjoys a productive streak on the offensive end.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovic has also been boosted by the return from injury of point guard Tony Parker, with the Frenchman key to their championship aspirations. Capable of posting up big numbers as well as opening up the floor for his team-mates, if the Spurs are to win they'll need a performance from their floor general.

Miami head to Texas with the best record in the NBA at 57-15, but having only lost on three occasions at home, their struggles have mainly come on the road. They came out on top back in November when these two last met, their only other meeting this season.

However, the game didn't pass without controversy despite the Heat's 105-100 win. Popovic rested Duncan, Parker, Manu Ginobili and Danny Green, and was missing Stephen Jackson and Kawhi Leonard through injury. Add that talented group to the roster, with the exception of the injured Ginobili, and the Spurs are more than capable of overcoming LeBron and the Heat with home court advantage.

Other Games

Detroit Pistons @ Chicago Bulls

Elsewhere on Sunday, the Chicago Bulls are back in action at the United Center for the first time since their remarkable win over Miami. The wait continues for Derrick Rose to return, but Coach Tom Thibodeau will hope to at least have Joakim Noah back at his disposal.

Even without the key duo, expect them to stroll to victory over the Pistons who are 1-9 in their last ten games and are already out of play-off contention, and have lost both previous meetings with Chicago.

Boston Celtics @ New York Knicks

Were it not for the Spurs-Heat clash, the Boston Celtics' trip to New York to face the Knicks would be receiving much more attention.

The Knicks are in a real battle to clinch second spot in the East, but have two men in incredible scoring form. Carmelo Anthony is as dangerous as ever, while J.R. Smith became the first man in franchise history to score 30 points or more off the bench in three consecutive games.

However, they face a Celtics team still in contention of working their way up the Conference. Jeff Green is averaging 21 points in seven starts, and will be key to Boston's chances. This one will be close, but expect the Knicks to get the job done.

Recommended Bets

Back the San Antonio Spurs to beat Miami Heat @ 1.91

Back the New York Knicks to beat the Boston Celtics @ 1.34