L.A. Lakers at Miami
Time: 8 PM ET
TV: ESPN
Spread: MIA -9.5
Total: 201
Betting odds c/o Bovada
The Miami Heat are still trying to lock in a playoff berth at 26-33 and are situated No. 7 in the Eastern Conference standings. With Chris Bosh due to miss the remainder of the season because of a pulmonary embolism, it stands to reason that the Heat are due for a first round bounce. But Goran Dragic and Dwyane Wade have proven to be a good combo in the backcourt.
The Heat will host the L.A. Lakers with early NBA live lines at Bovada showing the Heat as 9.5 point favorites. The betting total is set at 201, for an explanation of how to bet over/unders, see our NBA odds explained.
Miami is just 11-17 at home this season and has won five of its past 10 SU. Monday (Mar 2) night the Heat defeated the Phoenix Suns 115-98 at home. Tyler Johnson had a monster game off the Heat bench, coming in and scoring 26 points in 26 minutes while knocking down 3 of 3 from three-point range. The Heat also got 26 productive minutes from Michael Beasley, as another of six Heat players to score in double figures. Miami shot 52.4 percent from the floor and had 19 assists to 14 turnovers. Wade had nine of those dimes.
The Heat can still be a dangerous team without Bosh, and when he is back in the fold next year this should be one of the more competitive teams in the East. With two major playmakers like Dragic and Wade, it is hard to count the Heat out now, even. Dragic is nursing a minor back injury but will be able to go.
The L.A. Lakers are pretty hapless this season and are positioned for a top draft pick in the 2015 NBA draft. L.A. is 16-43 on the season and lost 104-103 to Charlotte last night (Mar 3) despite 23 points from Jeremy Lin. At this point with Kobe Bryant out for most and the remainder of the season, Lin should have a field day. He thrives with the ball in his hands, and it will be most of the time now. Over his past 10 games, Lin has averaged 14.2 points and 4.5 assists per game while shooting 51 percent from the field. Through his first two games this month, he is averaging 21.5 points and eight assists, while also having snatched 12 boards over those two games. The Lakers are going to have a tough time competing, but Lin can certainly keep the team in games, and win some.
The Lakers are going to be without Nick Young who is dealing with swelling in his knee. Young is not an efficient player, but he tallies 13 points per game in 23 minutes a night, and is the leading scorer with Kobe Bryant’s 35 game season removed from the equation. Carlos Boozer is still good for the mid-range jumper, but the Lakers would have liked to have had the chance to develop their 2014 1st round pick Julius Randle.
Jordan Hill has asserted himself as a very good 4/5-man, and the Lakers received a lot of inquiry regarding his availability at the trade deadline. He’s averaging 12.3 points, eight rebounds and 1.37 blocks/steals per game while posting an above-average PER of 16.7. The Lakers have just three players posting above-average PERs on the season, and the team is shooting just 43.5 percent from the floor.
