posted April 5, 2007 at 13:56 EST in NBA Free Picks

The speculation surrounding Dwyane Wade’s return from a serious shoulder injury has created a buzz surrounding an already enticing matchup between the Heat (+6) and the Cavaliers (-6).

Wade practiced on Monday, but Head Coach Pat Riley noticed that Wade was favoring his shoulder on more than one occasion. Wade’s plan is to return on April 16th when the Heat head to Boston to face the Celtics.

Focusing on Thursday’s matchup, the under looks like a solid play. It has hit in 19 of Miami’s last 26 versus Central division opponents and it has hit in eight of the last nine games that Cleveland has faced a Southeast opponent.

 

Furthermore, the under is 7-2 in Miami’s last nine Thursday games and 7-2 in their last nine overall.

The Cavaliers have been rewarding their backers and have covered the spread in 23 of their last 31 games overall. They are also 4-1 against the spread in their last five meetings with Miami.

Overall, though, Miami is 27-12 straight up against Cleveland since 1996.

But, the Heat have struggled against winning opponents this season, going 15-20 straight up when facing a team with a record above .500.
 
Miami Heat (40-34) @ Cleveland Cavaliers (45-30)
NBA Free Picks: Cleveland
Record: 13-10-3  

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