NBA Odds: Heat (even)
The Miami Heat (26-33) will be at home when they face off against the Los Angeles Lakers (16-42). Action begins at 8:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Mar. 4 and can be seen on ESPN, TWC SN and Sun Sports.
The Heat played well in their last game, topping the Suns 115-98 on Monday. Tyler Johnson was the game’s leading scorer with 26 points on 10-for-13 shooting. The Lakers, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after the 108-101 loss against the Thunder on Sunday. Jeremy Lin led the game in scoring with 20 points.
Hassan Whiteside has taken his game to another level over the last five games for the Heat. During that stretch, he has averaged 14.8 points, 13.6 rebounds, 0.6 steals, and 2.2 blocks.
This is the second game of the year between these two teams, with the Heat winning the first matchup 78-75. Whiteside had a standout performance in the victory, putting up 15 points, nine rebounds, and five blocks.
The odds for Miami and Los Angeles are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently unavailable. The Heat have gone 26-33 Straight Up (SU) and 26-30-3 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 8-16 SU and 9-14-1 ATS against the Western Conference.
Over on the other bench, the Lakers have a record of 26-30-2 ATS and 16-42 SU. Against the Eastern Conference, Los Angeles is 9-12 SU and 11-10 ATS.
In their previous meeting this season, Miami beat Los Angeles, bumping its SU record to 9-1 over the Lakers in their last 10 meetings. With a 7-3 record, the Heat also have the advantage ATS. Miami held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers three times, while Los Angeles was never able to do so in their most recent 10 games.
Predictions: SU Winner – LAL, ATS Winner – LAL
Notes
On average, Los Angeles puts up 99.6 points per game (ranked 17th), while Miami allows 96.8 points per game (ranked sixth).
Los Angeles ranks 15th in points per away game with 97.7 points, while Miami ranks 13th in points allowed at home with 97.8.
When giving up fewer than 100 points, the Los Angeles Lakers have a 9-10 record. When scoring fewer than 100 points, the Miami Heat have a poor record of 12-26.
The Los Angeles Lakers have an abysmal 7-32 record in games where they have allowed at least 100 points. The Miami Heat are 14-7 when they hit the century mark.
The Heat have a defensive rating of 104.5 (ranked 23rd), while the Lakers rank 20th for their offensive rating of 101.1.
The Miami Heat have one of the best field goal percentages this season, ranking ninth in the league with a FG% of 45.6%. When their opponents record a similar or higher FG%, the Los Angeles Lakers have an underachieving 5-28 record.
On average, Miami attempts 20.4 three pointers and Los Angeles attempts 19.3 per game. In games where the teams have 25 or more three point attempts, the Heat have a 4-6 record while the Lakers have a losing 3-8 record.
The Miami Heat rank 24th with an assist to turnover ratio of 1.46. The Los Angeles Lakers have a higher A/TO (1.66), ranking 10th.
Miami ranks 30th in rebounds per game with 38.5, while Los Angeles ranks 12th with 43.9 per game.
Miami is ranked 28th in defensive rebounds, while Los Angeles ranks ninth in offensive rebounds.
Miami is one of the top teams in forced turnovers, with opponents averaging a TOV% of 15.0% (ranked 10th). Los Angeles has an abysmal record of 2-10 SU this season when its TOV% reaches 15.0% or greater.
