The Los Angeles Lakers host the Miami Heat on Wednesday night without most, if not all, of their stars.
LeBron James is set to miss this game due to a non-COVID illness, leaving the Lakers shorthanded with Anthony Davis still battling a foot injury. The team will host the Miami Heat, who are trying to get back on track after being the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference last season, but currently sit in seventh place going into Wednesday’s game.
The line has moved nearly five points on the news that James will miss the point, but where’s the bet value now?
First, let’s check the possibilities:
Heat vs. Lakers odds, spread and total
Heat vs Lakers prediction and selection
Of course James’ influence has been massive on the Lakers, he’s ranked 86th in net worth this season per season cleaning the glasses And the effect will be felt on both sides, but this spread has been so exaggerated that bettors will have to look for other ways to play this game.
My favorite is below. The Lakers offense would take a huge hit without him on the ground, and it’s a struggling offense to begin with, posting a career high 18 effective field goals on the year. However, the Heat’s offense has been more limited this season, ranking 24th in eFG% and more reliant on their versatile defense, which is anchored by big man Bam Adebayo.
Overall, Miami’s defense is a top 10 defensive line and should keep cover for the Lakers’ already limited offense.
The total is down three points since opening at 229.5, but I still think there’s room to go. I’ll be backing off what should be an ugly, low-scoring game with James out of the game.