Los Angeles Lakers vs Miami Heat Preview
Don’t miss out on the NBA showdown between the Heat and Lakers. The game is starting at 10:00 ET on ESPN, and it’s hosted by the Lakers at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA. Get ready to place your bets!
The over/under for this non-conference contest is set at 226 points, with the Lakers being the favored team playing at home against the Heat. Check out BetCoco for Los Angeles Lakers – Miami Heat odds
Los Angeles Lakers vs Miami Heat Head-to-Head and Key Stats
Over their previous five games against the Lakers, the Heat have put together a record of 3-2. Going back to the last five head-to-head games between the Lakers and Heat, the over/under record in these games is 2-3 with a combined average of 219 points per contest.
- Through their last ten road contests, the Heat offense has averaged 111 points per game while allowing an average of 107. Miami posted an overall record of 6-4 while going 6-4 ATS.
- When looking at their past five home matchups, Los Angeles has an ATS record of 3-2 while averaging 112 per game. The team went 1-4 overall in these games.
- Spanning across their last five games as the betting underdog, the Heat have gone 2-3 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 2-3.
- As the betting favorite, the Lakers have an ATS mark of just 1-2 in their last three games. Los Angeles posted a straight up mark of 1-2 in these matchups.
Los Angeles Lakers vs Miami Heat Prediction
As the Heat get ready to take on the Lakers, they find themselves in 4th place in the Eastern Conference. Miami is leading the Southeast Division with a record of 19-14.
When playing on the road, the Heat have an average scoring margin of +1.6 points per contest, which ranks 9th among all teams. Miami’s road ATS record for the season is 10-7, but they have failed to cover in two straight games on the road.
Against the spread, the Heat are 15-17, and they have also dropped two straight vs. the spread. When they have been the underdog this season, Miami has gone 7-7 both straight up and ATS.
The Heat will be looking to snap their two-game losing streak. In their last game, Miami lost to the Clippers by a score of 121-104. The Heat were 7.5-point underdogs going into that matchup.
So far, 24 of Miami’s games have had lower over/under lines than today’s line of 226 points. The Heat have an average OU line of 222.1 points this season and an over/under record of 16-17. Miami has had three straight games finish below the OU lines.
In the game against the Clippers, the Heat struggled to score and fell short of their season average of 113 points per game. They finished the game with 104 points and shot 42.2% from the field. Bam Adebayo leads the team in scoring with an average of 22 PPG while Jimmy Butler is right behind him at 21 PPG.
On defense, the Heat come into the game ranked 9th in the league in points allowed at 112.0 per game. Over their last three games, the team is allowing 113.3 points per contest (5th). The Heat defense is coming off a game in which they held the Clippers offense to just 42.2% shooting. Overall, they gave up 121 points to Los Angeles.
In the Western Conference, the Lakers are sitting in 10th place and 4th in the Pacific Division on a record of 17-17. If they are going to get back to .500 today, they will need to knock off the Heat and cover the spread as 6.5-point favorites at home.
When playing at home, the Lakers have been much stronger this season, as they are 11-4 compared to just 6-13 on the road. Los Angeles will also be looking to snap their current two-game losing streak.
Against the spread, Los Angeles is 15-19 this season. When playing at home, they have an average scoring differential of +8.2 points per contest and have gone 7-8 ATS in home games.
So far, the Lakers have finished below their spread in three straight games. For the season, they have been the favorites in 20 of their 34 games and have a winning margin of 5.4 PPG as the favorite.
In their last game, the Lakers scored 109 points vs. the Pelicans. They shot 10/32 from beyond the arc and finished with a field goal percentage of 47.6%. LeBron James was the leading scorer with 34 points while Austin Reaves added 20 points.
On average, the Los Angeles defense is giving up 114.7 points per game (16th). Right now, they are on a 2 game streak of giving up fewer points than their season average. When it comes to forced turnovers, the Lakers are forcing 13.4 per game, which is 21st in the league. They also come into the game sitting 11th in blocked shots at 5.6 per game.
Despite being 6.5 point underdogs, we predict the Heat to come out on top with a final score of 119-115.
Los Angeles Lakers vs Miami Heat Betting Tips
- We like the Heat on the moneyline (+214)
- The Heat are also our pick on the spread at +6.5
- Projecting a combined 234 points, we like the over
Los Angeles Lakers Injury Report
- Anthony Davis – Groin – Probable
- LeBron James – Illness – Questionable
- D’Angelo Russell – Tailbone – Doubtful
- Gabe Vincent – Knee – Out
- Rui Hachimura – Calf – Out
- Cam Reddish – Groin – Probable
Miami Heat Injury Report
- Jimmy Butler – Foot – Out
- Josh Richardson – Back – Questionable
- Haywood Highsmith – Concussion – Out
- Caleb Martin – Ankle – Doubtful
- Dru Smith – Knee – Out
