NBA Play-In: Predicting Miami Heat vs. Atlanta Hawks

On Tuesday night, two Eastern Conference competitors will battle it out to begin the 2023 NBA Play-In Tournament. With the Philadelphia 76ers cracking the third seed in the East, they’ll sit back and watch the current seventh and eighth seeds fight for the seventh seed in the playoffs.

This year, the Miami Heat and the Atlanta Hawks are going to fight for the second-to-last spot in the tournament on the East side. Last year, the Heat entered the postseason as the Conference’s top dogs. After drawing a first-round series against the Hawks, the Heat put Atlanta away in five games.

The Hawks, who are no strangers to the Play-In, will have to win one of their next two games to make the playoffs for the third-straight season. While the Hawks just made an Eastern Conference Finals run just two seasons ago, Atlanta finds itself on the chopping block beyond the regular season once again.

The winner of Tuesday’s game between the Heat and the Hawks will clinch a playoff berth and draw a first-round series against the second-seeded Boston Celtics. The loser will get one last opportunity to garner the eighth seed in a matchup on Friday night.

Game Details

Miami Heat vs. Atlanta Hawks

Date: Tuesday, April 11, 2023

Time: 7:30 PM ET.

Location: Kaseya Center

How to Watch

TV Broadcast: TNT

Live Stream: Click Here

Game Odds

Spread: Heat -4.5

Moneyline: MIA -213, ATL +175

Total O/U: 227.5

*All Odds are Provided by SI Sportsbook

Prediction

Spread: Heat -4.5

Moneyline: MIA -213

Total O/U: OVER 227.5

The Atlanta Hawks’ track record against the Heat isn’t great. Miami holds an 8-2 record over the Hawks in their last ten games, with the Hawks going 1-5 in their last six outings against the Heat.

Both teams have disappointed this year, but the Hawks are the team that fired its coach less than two months ago in hopes that Quin Snyder could come in and salvage the season as quickly as possible.

After seeing the Hawks lose to a Sixers team that missed its entire starting lineup and some key reserves less than a week ago, it’s hard to buy stock into Atlanta this season.

Miami isn’t in a do-or-die scenario on Tuesday, but Jimmy Butler and his squad won’t won't to prolong clinching a spot. I expect the Heat to play like it’s Game 7 of the Finals and take care of business at home in South Beach on Tuesday night.

Eastern Conference Playoff Standings

1. Milwaukee Bucks

2. Boston Celtics

3. Philadelphia 76ers

4. Cleveland Cavaliers

5. New York Knicks

6. Brooklyn Nets

7. Miami Heat or Atlanta Hawks

8. TBD