The Los Angeles Lakers are set to make an appearance in the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010. LeBron James will lead the Lakers against his former team when Game 1 of the 2020 NBA Finals tips-off on Wednesday night. The Lakers enter Wednesday's matchup having won eight of their last nine games. The Heat, meanwhile, are 12-3 in their last 15 outings.
Game 1 of Heat vs. Lakers is scheduled to get underway at 9 p.m. ET. The Lakers are a 4.5-point favorite in the latest Lakers vs. Heat odds from William Hill, while the over-under, or total number of points expected, is 217.5. Before you lock in any Heat vs. Lakers picks, be sure to see the NBA predictions from SportsLine's proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times, and it's already returned over $5,000 in profit on its top-rated NBA picks this season. It entered the 2020 NBA Finals on a blistering 61-33 run on top-rated NBA spread picks, returning almost $2,500 on those picks alone. It's also a sizzling 11-3 on top-rated picks since the NBA's restart in July. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Lakers vs. Heat. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the NBA odds from William Hill and trends for Heat vs. Lakers:
- Lakers vs. Heat spread: Lakers -4.5
- Lakers vs. Heat over-under: 217.5 points
- Lakers vs. Heat money line: Lakers -185, Heat +165
- LAL: The Lakers are 6-3-1 against the spread in the last 10 games
- MIA: The Heat are 7-3 against the spread in the last 10 games
Why the Lakers can cover
Los Angeles is loaded with talented playmakers who have a ton of experience in the NBA Finals. James will be making his 10th appearance in the NBA Finals, while Rajon Rondo, Dwight Howard, Danny Green and JaVale McGee all have experience on the NBA's biggest stage.
James has been the catalyst for Los Angeles' offense this postseason, averaging 26.7 points, 10.3 rebounds and 8.9 assists per game in the playoffs. Anthony Davis has also been sensational for the Lakers, having scored 27 or more points in five straight games. Davis has also been lethal from the free-throw line, knocking down 92.6 percent of his free throws against the Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals.
Why the Heat can cover
The Heat are stellar on both ends of the court, with head coach Erik Spoelstra able to deploy varied lineups. On the offensive side, Miami is averaging 112.2 points per game in the postseason. The Heat are led by power forward Bam Adebayo, who's averaging 18.5 points, 11.4 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game thus far in the playoffs. Adebayo is coming off a strong showing in Miami's Game 6 victory over the Celtics, recording 32 points, 14 rebounds and five assists.
On the defensive end, the Heat are No. 4 in the NBA Playoffs in 3-point percentage, allowing their opponents to knock down just 34.5 percent of shots from behind the arc. Miami is also generating 7.5 steals and 4.1 blocks per game in the postseason.
How to make Lakers vs. Heat picks
SportsLine's model is leaning under on the total, with Kyle Kuzma and Jimmy Butler projected to fall short of their season-long scoring averages. It also says one side of the spread has all the value. You can only get the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Heat vs. Lakers? And which side of the spread has all the value? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Lakers vs. Heat spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up over $5,000 on its top-rated NBA picks this season, and find out.
