The Heat Have Played The Most Undrafted Players This Season

Joel Embiid’ MVP odds have gone from +5000 to +500 over the last few weeks 👀 — let’s talk NBA Friday 👇

Eastern Conference Showdowns

Tonight, three of the top four teams in the East take the court in a pair of marquee matchups 🎁

Friday Night NBA Lines

• Heat +1 @ the Hawks: 7:30pm EST

• Bulls +8.5 @ the Bucks: 8:00pm EST

The Bulls and Heat aren’t getting much love. The two teams are currently tied for the best record in the Eastern Conference, but are below the Nets and Bucks in terms of odds to win the East — I guess that’s expected though

Eastern Conference Champion Odds

• Brooklyn Nets: +130 (bet $100, win $130)

• Milwaukee Bucks: +275

• Miami Heat: +525

• Philadelphia 76ers: +900

• Chicago Bulls: +1200

• Atlanta Hawks: +2500

With less than half of the season remaining, Miami and Chicago are still a ways away from proving they’re on the same level as the the reigning champs and the Nets. But, if you believe in their play, they might be worth a look 👀

Ice Trae’s on Fire

While the Hawks have struggled to win games — they’re currently just 19-25 and sit at 12th in the East — Trae Young is having one of the best seasons of his career to date. He’s put up massive numbers this past week 👇

• 30.0 PPG

• 9.8 APG

• 50.0 FG%

• 42.9 3P%

Trae is the NBA’s leading scorer as the ball-handler in pick and rolls, and is fifth in overall scoring this season. At just 23 years old, Trae’s primed for at least another decade of offensive dominance in the league

Trivia question: Who was the last player to average 30 points and 10 assists per game, and in what season did they do it? (answer below)

South Beach Stays Sunny

Meanwhile, the Heat are thriving in the face of injuries and COVID-related absences

• They’ve had their Big 3 (Lowry, Butler and Bam) available for just 14 total games

• They’re 11-4 when Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo are both out

• They are playing more undrafted players than any other team this season

Their star-less wins have come on the back of the Heat’s seemingly bottomless pool of G League talent, supported by their best-in-the-biz player development system

• Gabe Vincent, Caleb Martin, and Max Strus all started the season un-rostered, and have each scored at least 27 points in a game as a member of the Heat

With Bam back in uniform for the third time since missing six weeks with a thumb injury, the Heat could get even better after their supporting cast held down the fort during his absence

The Bulls Are Balling

Of their top four players, only Zach LaVine began last season as a member of the team. Since the last trade deadline, the Bulls have added Nikola Vucevic, DeMar DeRozan, and Lonzo Ball to the mix

• A savvy signing of Alex Caruso has also helped turn the Bulls into a staunch defensive team. That partnered with the fourth-best offense in the NBA has translated to wins

Also, DeMar’s been such a good addition, and he’s now the second-fastest to score 1000 points in a Bulls uniform

• Michael Jordan: 38 games

• DeMar DeRozan: 40 games

• Jalen Rose: 44 games

However, some bad news this week could slow their roll, as Lonzo Ball is set to miss six-to-eight weeks in recovery from arthroscopic surgery on his left knee

Hidden in Plain Sight

Despite being the NBA’s reigning champs, people are sleeping on just how good the Bucks are this season

• Giannis is 2nd in MVP odds (+325), trailing only Steph Curry (+155)

• They’re 17-3 when their Big 3 (Giannis, Middleton and Jrue) play

• Jrue Holiday just came back from an ankle injury that cost him six games

At 28-19, they’re fourth in the East, but just two games out of first. The Bucks are in a great position to finish the season with the No. 1 seed, as they are getting healthy at the right time

For My Parlay Gurus

The Hawks have been playing well recently, and Lowry and Herro are both out for the Heat. The matchup between the Bulls and the Bucks has bigger line with LaVine and Lonzo both out. I’m taking the Heat’s depth and the Bucks in today’s parlay 👇

• Miami Heat +1 @ the Hawks: -115

• Bucks -8.5 vs. the Bulls: -110

$100 on this bet would payout $257, you’re welcome in advance. If it hits, make sure to email [email protected] for $100**. First come, first serve 😉

Trivia answer: Russell Westbrook average 31.6 points, 10.4 assists, and 10.7 rebounds per game in his 2016-17 MVP campaign