The Indiana Pacers will step into the lion’s den tonight as they open the Eastern Conference Finals opposite the Heat at the AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami. This evening’s Game 1 meeting between the Pacers and Heat is scheduled to tip off at 8:30pm ET on TNT. The latest NBA Odds have Miami listed as a -8 against the spread home favorite and the Over/Under set at 182 points. Indiana and Miami are drawing +320 ($100 wins $320) and -400 ($400 wins $100) money line odds, respectively, to win tonight’s series opener.

Indiana, which reached the Eastern Conference Finals by virtue of 4-2 series wins over the Hawks and Knicks, experienced its share of road woes this season, posting a 19-21 record outside the Hoosier State. The Pacers have not performed much better away from home in the playoffs as evidenced by their 2-4 postseason road record.

Now the Pacers are charged with defeating the league’s best team on its home court at least once in order to reach the NBA Finals. Their recent history in Miami would suggest that does not happen. Indiana did procure two wins over the Heat this season, but both of those came at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse. It got pounded 105-91 in its lone visit to the AmericanAirlines Arena.

That double digit victory represented the Heat’s sixth win in its last seven games opposite the Pacers in South Florida. Miami’s average margin of victory in those six wins was a whopping 16.2 points per game.

There is no question the Pacers embody the biggest threat the Heat have encountered in these playoffs thus far, but history (and about everything else) is on Miami’s side tonight and in this series.

Notable Trends: The Heat are 6-0 straight up and 4-2 against the spread in its last six games as a home favorite with a spread between 8 and 10.5 points (Over was 5-1 in those same six games). The Pacers are 1-4 both straight up and against the spread in their last five games as a road dog with a spread between 8 and 10.5 points.

Pacers vs Heat Game 1 Odds:

Indiana Pacers +8 (-110), Over 182 (-110), +320 (Moneyline)

Miami Heat -8 (-110), Under 182 (-110), -400 (Moneyline)

NBA Free Picks:Indiana Pacers at Miami Heat Betting
What pro basketball bettors need to know about Indiana Pacers at Miami Heat on Wednesday (5/22/13) - a free pick from Pregame.com's Steve Fezzik with Vegas Runner.