Heat vs. Hawks Prediction: Herro and Young Fight for the Eight Seed

The NBA Play-In Tournament is on its final day, and Tyler Herro’s Miami Heat aim to claim the eighth seed in the East Playoffs when they take on Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks! For new users at FanDuel Sportsbook, you can bet $5 and receive $250 in Bonus Bets if your bet wins!

For the best NBA game previews, WSN has you covered with betting picks and tips every day throughout the 2024-25 NBA season! New sports bettors supporting the Atlanta Hawks or the Miami Heat can take advantage of the top NBA sportsbook promos and bonuses before Friday’s NBA Play-In Tournament game tips off!

The Miami Heat earned their spot in the final game of the East Play-In Tournament with a dominant win over the Bulls, led by Tyler Herro’s 38 points. They’re opposed by the shorthanded Atlanta Hawks, who fell short against the Magic in their first game despite 28 points from Trae Young–the game tips off at 7:00 PM EST at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.

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Miami Heat vs. Atlanta Hawks Betting Odds

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Miami Heat vs. Atlanta Hawks Betting Pick

• My Pick: Spread - Miami Heat -1.0 (-114) at FanDuel

The Miami Heat and Atlanta Hawks will square off in the final game of the East Play-In Tournament. Atlanta is severely understaffed, particularly in the frontcourt, where Miami is expected to capitalize. The Heat still won’t convince anyone they’re a high-powered offensive unit, but the combination of their form and Atlanta’s availability puts them in favor of earning the eighth seed in the East. The key player matchup is Trae Young versus Tyler Herro, but All-Star center Bam Adebayo is an interior threat that can’t be overlooked.

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Miami Heat Preview

The Miami Heat are coming off a win in their last game, overtaking the red-hot Chicago Bulls to give them a shot at the Eastern Conference Playoffs. The Heat and Hawks split the regular season series, and momentum is on Miami’s side when their game on Friday night tips off.

The Heat proved the doubters wrong in their last game, scoring 109 points on 49.4% shooting from the field. However, their defense remained their calling card, allowing just 90 points on 39.8% shooting and 27.0% from three while forcing 17 turnovers on the night.

Through the regular season and Play-In, the Miami Heat have posted a 39-43-1 ATS Record, 21st in the NBA. They have a 47.6% cover percentage, a +0.8 margin of victory, and a +0.2 ATS +/- this season.

Tyler Herro led Miami in their last game and will be asked to carry the scoring load again on Friday night. He faced the Hawks four times this season, averaging 24.8 points, 6.8 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.0 made threes per contest on 47.8% shooting.

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Atlanta Hawks Preview

The Atlanta Hawks lost to the Orlando Magic in their last match. They struggled in the paint without key frontcourt players available, and their issues are projected to reappear when they face the Miami Heat on Friday night.

The Hawks couldn’t overcome Orlando’s defense in their last match, scoring just 95 points on 38.1% from the field and 19.0% from three-point range. Their defense was even worse, allowing their opponents to shoot 48.4% while losing the rebounding battle by 12.

Atlanta has been up and down this season, posting a 41-42-0 ATS Record, a 49.4% cover percentage, a -1.4 margin of victory, and a -0.3 ATS +/- this season.

Trae Young is the player to watch for the Hawks, as their chances of success rest squarely on his shoulders. He struggled with his shooting against the Heat this season, averaging just 17.0 points and 12.3 assists on 35.0% from the field and 26.5% from three. He put up 28 points and six assists on 8 of 21 shooting in his last game, a mark he must improve on to beat Miami.

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Miami Heat vs. Atlanta Hawks Injury Report

• Miami Heat - (F) Nikola Jovic - Game Time Decision (Hand) - Jovic is questionable for Miami’s Friday Play-In game against the Hawks.

• Miami Heat - (F) Pelle Larsson - Game Time Decision (Ankle) - Larsson is questionable for Miami’s Friday Play-In game against the Hawks.

• Miami Heat - (C) Kevin Love - Game Time Decision (Personal) - Love is questionable for Miami’s Friday Play-In game against the Hawks.

• Miami Heat - (G) Dru Smith - Out for Season (Achilles) - Smith underwent surgery to repair a ruptured left Achilles and will miss the remainder of the season.

• Miami Heat - (G) Isaiah Stevens - Out for Season (Achilles) - Stevens is ruled out for the remainder of the season. 

• Atlanta Hawks - (G) Trae Young - Game Time Decision (Achilles) - Young has been upgraded to probable for Atlanta’s Friday Play-In game against Miami.

• Atlanta Hawks - (C) Clint Capela - Out (Hand) - Capela has been ruled out for Atlanta’s Friday Play-In Tournament game against Miami.

• Atlanta Hawks - (C) Larry Nance - Out (Knee) - Nance continues rehabilitating his knee, and there’s no timetable for his return.

• Atlanta Hawks - (G) Kobe Bufkin - Out for Season (Shoulder) - Bufkin will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing right shoulder surgery.

• Atlanta Hawks - (F) Jalen Johnson - Out for Season (Shoulder) - Johnson is out after suffering a torn labrum in his left shoulder.

How to Watch Miami Heat vs. Atlanta Hawks

Teams: Miami Heat vs. Atlanta Hawks

Location: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA

Date: 7:00 PM, Friday, April 18, 2025

TV:  TNT, truTV, Max