The Los Angeles Lakers welcome the Miami Heat to STAPLES Center on Wednesday night. Both teams face lofty expectations this season with winning records for both sides in the early portion of the 2021-22 NBA season. Los Angeles is 6-5 overall and 5-3 at home, with Miami entering at 7-3 overall and 3-2 on the road. LeBron James (abdominal) is out for the Lakers, missing his fourth consecutive game.
Tip-off is at 10 p.m. ET in Los Angeles. Caesars Sportsbook lists the Heat as five-point road favorites, while the over-under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 215.5 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 -5
- Heat vs. Lakers over-under: 215.5 points
- Heat vs. Lakers money line: Heat -200, Lakers +170
- 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
Why the Heat can cover
Miami is off to a blazing start on offense, with three players leading the way. Jimmy Butler is an early NBA MVP candidate, averaging 25.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game while shooting 53 percent from the floor. Bam Adebayo anchors the team's defense near the rim, and the talented big man is also averaging 18.3 points and 11.8 rebounds per contest. On the perimeter, Tyler Herro is playing very well, scoring 20.3 points per game and shooting 40 percent from 3-point distance.
Miami also has overall team strengths on both ends of the floor, and the Heat could benefit from the shortcomings of the Lakers. For one, Los Angeles is not the same team without James, and that has been evident across multiple seasons. The Lakers are also dead-last in the NBA in preventing free throw attempts defensively, with the No. 25 mark in free throw shooting on offense (73.3 percent) and the No. 26 mark in turnovers, committing 16.5 giveaways per game.
Why the Lakers can cover
Los Angeles is without 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.