The Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Lakers square off in a high-profile NBA showdown on Wednesday evening. The Lakers host the proceedings at the STAPLES Center, with Los Angeles seeking a second straight win. Miami has lost two of its last three games, but the Heat are an impressive 7-3 this season. The Lakers have dominated this series in recent years, winning 10 of the last 15 meetings against Miami.
Tip-off is at 10 p.m. ET in Los Angeles. Caesars Sportsbook lists the Heat as 4.5-point road favorites, while the over-under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 214 in the latest Heat vs. Lakers odds. Before you make any Lakers vs. Heat picks or NBA predictions, you need to see what SportsLine’s advanced computer model has to say.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned over $9,000 in profit on its top-rated NBA picks over the past three-plus seasons. The model enters Week 4 of the 2021-22 NBA season up over $500 on all top-rated NBA picks this season. It’s also on a stunning 110-73 roll on top-rated NBA picks against the spread that dates back to last season. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Heat vs. Lakers and revealed its coveted NBA picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are several NBA odd and betting lines for Lakers vs. Heat:
- Heat vs. Lakers spread: Heat -4.5
- Heat vs. Lakers over-under: 214 points
- Heat vs. Lakers money line: Heat -190, Lakers +160
- MIA: The Heat are 7-3 against the spread in the last 10 games
- LAL: The Lakers are 3-8 against the spread this season
Featured Game | Los Angeles Lakers vs. Miami Heat
Why the Heat can cover
Miami has been elite on both ends of the floor in the early going. The Heat are No. 3 in the NBA in offensive rating, scoring 112.1 points per 100 possessions, and Miami has top-tier marks in free throw creation (21.9 attempts per game) and free throw accuracy (82.6 percent). The Heat are a top-seven team in field goal shooting (46.4 percent), 3-point shooting (35.7 percent) and assists (24.4 per game), with elite-level offensive rebounding in securing 30.3 percent of their own misses.
On defense, the Heat are holding opponents to just 1.03 points per possession, and Miami leads the NBA in field goal percentage allowed at 41.6 percent. The Heat rank in the top five in 3-point defense (31.6 percent), points allowed in the paint (40.4 per game), second-chance points allowed (10.1 per game) and defensive rebound rate (76.6 percent). Miami also allows opponents to generate only 21.3 assists per game, and the Heat have personnel to give the Lakers fits on defense.
Why the Lakers can cover
Los Angeles is without LeBron James due to an abdominal issue, but the Lakers do have two stars to lean on against Miami. Russell Westbrook is averaging 18.8 points, 8.8 rebounds and 8.5 assists per game, with Anthony Davis adding 23.9 points and 11 rebounds per contest. Offensively, the Lakers are a top-eight team in both field goal percentage and assists, with above-average offensive rebounding metrics.
Miami is very strong on defense, but the Heat are just No. 27 in the NBA in free throw prevention and No. 23 in the league in turnover creation. On the other side, Los Angeles was an elite defense a year ago, and the Lakers are forcing a turnover on 16.5 percent of defensive possessions. The Lakers are also blocking 6.2 shots per game, and Los Angeles has impressive infrastructure with head coach Frank Vogel in place.
How to make Heat vs. Lakers picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning under on the total, projecting 207 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in almost 60 percent of simulations. You can only get the model’s Lakers vs. Heat picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Heat vs. Lakers? And which side of the spread hits in almost 60 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Heat vs. Lakers spread you need to jump on Wednesday, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks, and find out.
