NBA Basketball Matchup: Los Angeles Lakers vs Miami Heat
It is the matchup that many expected in the NBA Finals last year, but it never materialized.
8:00 PM EST on TNT
NBA Gambling Odds from Bookmaker
NBA Betting Favorite: Heat -5.5
Over/Under: 191.5
Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers will travel to Miami to take on LeBron James and the Heat tonight. Miami won both meetings between these two in the regular season last year. Both teams have been a little inconsistent so far this year. Kobe Bryant has been on fire of late. Can he propel the Lakers to a big road victory on national television?
It hasn’t necessarily been pretty, but the Lakers have won six of their last seven games. Monday’s win over Dallas was about the ugliest game you could ever see, but the Lakers did pull it off in the fourth quarter. Kobe Bryant has scored 30 points or more in seven of the team’s last nine games.
The problem for the Lakers is that they are just 1-4 on the road this season. Pau Gasol is averaging 15.9 points per game, which is the lowest of his ten-year NBA career. Andrew Bynum has been a beast on the inside so far this year. Bynum is averaging 16.5 points and 13.9 rebounds per game. The Lakers have been winning games with their solid defense. Opponents are shooting just 40.9% against the Lakers this year.[soliloquy id=”82219″]
LeBron James is listed as questionable in this game due to flu-like symptoms. Dwyane Wade will miss another game with his ankle injury. Miami may have had some trouble getting it together offensively at the beginning of last season, but they are on fire offensively so far this season. The Heat lead the NBA in scoring per game as they average 107.4 per contest.
They are first in field goal percentage at 49.4%. Mike Miller’s return was big last game as he drained shots from the outside and opened up the paint. Eddy Curry is expected to make his debut with the Heat tonight. Chris Bosh is averaging 20 points per game on 51.7% shooting from the floor. A healthy Udonis Haslem has been big for this team as well.
I think the Heat will win this one, but I expected a very close and hard fought game. The under has some value here.
Prediction: Miami 92 Los Angeles 88
