The Miami Heat and Charlotte Hornets face off in a Southeast Division matchup at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday. Miami is favored by five points on the road, while the Over-Under is set at 226.5 (see up-to-date odds for every game this week on our NBA odds page). 

Before making any Heat vs. Hornets picks, you NEED to check out the NBA predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past three-plus seasons. The model enters Week 17 of the 2021-22 NBA season on a stunning 67-39 roll on all top-rated NBA picks, returning over $2,200. Anyone following it has seen HUGE returns.

The model knows the Heat are tremendous on offense, posting a top-eight mark in overall efficiency. Miami's defense is even better, however, with the No. 6 ranking in defensive efficiency at 107.6 points allowed per 100 possessions. The Heat lead the NBA in points allowed in the paint (39.9 per game), with top-five marks in field-goal percentage allowed, turnover creation and second-chance points allowed. Miami gives up only 23.1 assists per game, No. 6 in the league, and opponents secure less than 26 percent of available rebounds on the offensive glass against the Heat.

The model also knows the Hornets have a high-powered offense. Charlotte is scoring more than 1.11 points per possession this season, with top-five marks in 3-pointers, turnover rate, fast-break points and points in the paint. The Hornets are making 35.8 percent of 3-point attempts, and Charlotte is No. 3 in the NBA in assists (27.2 per game). The Hornets assist on 64.4 percent of field goals, a top-tier figure, and Miami is in the bottom 10 of the NBA in free-throw rate on both ends of the floor. Charlotte also creates havoc on defense, forcing 15.3 turnovers per game and producing 8.7 steals per game.

Now, it has set its sights on Heat vs. Hornets. We can tell you the model is leaning under the total, and it also says one side of the spread hits in over 50 percent of simulations! You ABSOLUTELY need to see it before locking in any NBA picks.

Who wins Heat vs. Hornets? And which side of the spread hits in over 50 percent of simulations? ... Join SportsLine right now to find out which side of the Heat vs. Hornets spread you should be all over Thursday, all from the model on a roll on NBA picks!