For the second straight night, the Miami Heat will be playing in a high-profile game in Los Angeles. On Wednesday night, they played against the Lakers in Staples Center, while Thursday night will see them take part in this Miami Heat vs. Los Angeles Clippers contest. The Heat certainly held their own from the opening tip against the Lakers, as they went to overtime. But they have to turn around and play a second game in as many days here.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Clippers are really starting to turn things around after a sluggish start to their season. Here, they will look to take advantage of the scheduling edge that they have in this game. But they will have to overcome a loaded Heat roster that is trying to continue to establish themselves as one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference.
Miami Heat – Second Straight Game In LA
On Wednesday night, the Miami Heat played a war of a game against the Los Angeles Lakers, which did not go their way. They went to overtime against the Lakers after leading for much of the second half. But the Lakers got the better of them in overtime, thanks in large part to the absence of Jimmy Butler after he suffered an injury in the first half of that game. Now the Heat could be short-handed against the Clippers on the second night of a back to back.
Without Butler, the Heat looked a little rudderless on offense at times down the stretch against the Lakers. Kyle Lowry is an adequate facilitator, of course, but they didn’t have a player they could rely on to take care of the scoring in isolation situations when they needed a basket the most. If Butler isn’t able to go, that will allow Paul George to focus defensively on one of Miami’s other options, which is a problem.
Expected Line-Up: Kyle Lowry, Duncan Robinson, Tyler Herro, PJ Tucker, Bam Adebayo
with best odds
Los Angeles Clippers – Looking To Extend Streak
The LA Clippers have won each of their last five games, looking very impressive after a slow start to their season. During this five-game win streak, the Clippers have played well as a team, getting contributions from sources beyond just Paul George. With Kawhi Leonard out due to a knee injury, the Clippers have done an admirable job of continuing to fight through the early portion of the season.
Against the Heat, the Clippers will have to guard Bam Adebayo, which isn’t an easy task for them. Ivica Zubac is a more traditional center, while the Clippers haven’t had Serge Ibaka on the floor enough to rely on him for extended minutes just yet. The question for Los Angeles will be whether someone can step up to slow down Adebayo, which will force the Heat to throw up more perimeter shots on tired legs.
Expected Line-Up: Reggie Jackson, Eric Bledsoe, Paul George, Nic Batum, Ivica Zubac
Expert Pick #1 – Clippers -2.5 @ -110
The first bet to make on this game is the Clippers -2.5 at -110 odds. The Clippers are the fresher team heading into this game thanks to the Heat having to play an overtime game that finished less than 24 hours before the start of this contest. Combine that with the injury situation surrounding Jimmy Butler, and the Clippers could roll against a severely weakened Heat squad unless Miami really steps up in the face of adversity.
Expert Pick #2 – Under 214.5 @ -110
The second bet we are making on this game is the under 214.5 at -110 odds. The Heat are going to be entering this game with some tired legs, and the Clippers should be able to take advantage of that on the defensive end. The Clippers are always capable of having an off night from the perimeter as well, but the under should stem primarily from the Heat struggling in this game.
Expert Pick #3 – Clippers to Win @ -135
It is possible that the Clippers win this game by one or two points rather than covering the spread, though we think that the Clippers will cover the number. As a result, our final bet for this game is the Clippers to win at -135 odds. Los Angeles should come through here, and it is worth putting a little something on the moneyline in addition to laying the points.
If these two teams were playing on equal rest and without injury worries, the Clippers would have a hard time with the Heat. However, the situational factors in this matchup make it so that the Clippers are the best bet on the board in the NBA on Thursday night. Take the Clippers with confidence here.
