The Los Angeles Lakers will be looking to buck the NBA betting trends on Sunday afternoon as they close out their schedule for the week with a road game against the Miami Heat.
The Lakers have covered the posted spread on the NBA odds at the sportsbooks in just two of their past 10 games against the Heat, winning four of those contests SU. For totals bettors, each of the last five Lakers vs. Heat matchups have been UNDER results.
Miami battles the Lakers, currently with a 24-27 mark (21-30 ATS). The OVER/UNDER records, important for totals bettors, are 23-24 for the Heat and 25-25-1 for the Lakers. (Note: follow us on Twitter for line updates and injuries news).
View LA Lakers vs Miami Odds and Stats.
Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Heat sit at No. 10 in the current NBA Power Rankings here at Odds Shark, while the Lakers are at No. 12 on that chart. Math models have concluded that the Heat will win this game 107-102.
How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Miami's No. 5-ranked offense (102.7 PPG) against a Lakers defense that ranks No. 23 at 100.6 PPG. The Heat have averaged 49.1% from the field per game, more than the Lakers have managed so far this season (45.6% on average).
Defensively, the Lakers feature the league's No. 27-rated defense on the road, giving up 104.2 points per game. Miami, meanwhile, comes in at No. 4 in the league in scoring at home.
In their last action, Los Angeles was a 100-93 Sportsbook on the road against the Bobcats. They covered the 6.5-point spread as favorites, while the combined score (193) was profitable news for UNDER bettors. Kobe Bryant scored 20 points leading the Lakers to a 100-93 victory over Charlotte at Time Warner Cable Arena on Friday.
The Heat were a 111-89 Sportsbook in their most recent outing at home against the Clippers. They covered the 3.5-point spread as favorites, while the total score (200) made Sportsbooks of OVER bettors. Los Angeles was run off the court by the Heat on Friday as Miami blasted the Clippers 111-89 at AmericanAirlines Arena.
Los Angeles Lakers Trends:
When playing on Sunday are 4-6
Before playing Phoenix are 7-3
After playing Charlotte are 6-4
After a win are 5-5
Miami Heat Trends:
When playing on Sunday are 7-3
Before playing Portland are 4-6
After playing LA Clippers are 5-5
After a win are 6-4
A few Lakers at Heat trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of the LA Lakers last 5 games when playing Miami
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of the LA Lakers last 8 games when playing on the road against Miami
LA Lakers are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games
LA Lakers are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games on the road
Miami is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Miami's last 5 games when playing LA Lakers
Miami is 7-1 SU in their last 8 games when playing at home against LA Lakers
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Miami's last 8 games when playing at home against LA Lakers
Next up:
LA Lakers home to Phoenix, Tuesday, February 12
Miami home to Portland, Tuesday, February 12
