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The Los Angeles Lakers will head down to South Beach to take on the Miami Heat for the second time this season in another NBA Finals rematch. It’s time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Lakers-Heat prediction and pick.
The last meeting back in February saw the Miami Heat pull off a 96-94 victory in a low-scoring affair. Miami has been playing very well of late in hopes of making a push up the Eastern Conference standings down the stretch. The Lakers, on the other hand, are looking to stay afloat without their two superstars.
Here’s how sportsbooks have set the opening Lakers-Heat odds.
NBA Odds: Lakers-Heat Odds
Los Angeles Lakers +8 (-110)
Over 204 Points (-110)
Under 204 Points (-110)
Why The Lakers Could Cover The Spread
The Lakers have been without LeBron James and Anthony Davis for quite some time now. They have struggled to stay afloat as they've been slightly below average without their team leaders. The Lakers were 6-6 with just LeBron on the court, but are now 4-6 since he joined Davis on the bench. That makes them a mediocre 10-12 during the stretch, which isn't all that surprising considering how good they are.
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Los Angeles is motivated to start stringing together some wins with AD and LeBron set to return soon. They currently hold the fifth seed in the West with teams like the Portland Trail Blazers and Dallas Mavericks breathing down their neck. Los Angeles will need a big win in Miami before heading up to New York to take on the Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks in the coming days. The Lakers will look to build off an impressive nine-point road win against the Toronto Raptors. Los Angeles has held opponents to just 99.7 points per game in the last three.
Why The Heat Could Cover The Spread
The Heat had their four-game winning streak snapped by the Memphis Grizzlies in their last game. Despite the recent loss, Miami has to be thrilled to finally have its core group healthy and back together. The Heat now have another challenge to face as head coach Erik Spoelstra has been playing around with pairings for the newly acquired Victor Oladipo. Oladipo joins a deep team that plays tenacious defense. Scoring has been an issue for the Heat, but Oladipo's presence is helping, even if he's not shooting the ball well yet.
The offense has been much improved for the Heat, averaging 114.3 points per game. The defense has taken a slight hit, though. Miami is allowing 111.3 points per game, which is considered struggling for a team that recently held opponents to 88 and 87 points in the two games before welcoming Oladipo to the floor. The Heat have continued to get impressive performances from their two key players, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. Butler went for 28 points and Bam added a triple-double in the recent loss to the Grizzlies. Oladipo adds a third scoring option that balances this team's attack and makes them a lethal group in the Eastern Conference.
Final Lakers-Heat Prediction & Pick
To many, this game will scream under, which is why the total is set at just 204 points. This seems incredibly low in this spot. The Heat have been much better on offense with the addition of Victor Oladipo, and it seems that the market is slowly adjusting before our eyes. I'm going to be high on Miami overs in the near future as the team learns how to get more out of Oladipo on the defensive end, too. The Lakers still have quality scorers who will be able to put points on the board in spurts. The Heat will win this game, but I can't confidently say that it'll be a double-digit victory.
FINAL PICK: Over 204 (-110)
