The best legit sportsbooks favor the Los Angeles Lakers by five points over the Miami Heat in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on September 30 at The Arena in the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.
Miami Heat vs. Los Angeles Lakers NBA Odds
| Team | SP/RL | TOTAL | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heat | +4½ (-110) | 217 (-110) | +160 |  |
| Lakers | -4½ (-110) | 217 (-110) | -185 | |
|
||||
Betting Miami Heat
The Heat are the nominal visitors, which makes them the road dogs per the best online sportsbooks. Not that that makes any difference. Depth and toughness are Miami’s most important traits. Not one team in the bubble has shown more grit than the Heat. Miami had, according to the best legit sportsbooks, odds as large as +4000 to win the championship heading into the bubble. Based on pre-season odds, they would be the biggest dog to ever win the title.
The Heat team led by Jimmy Butler has been just as good on defense as the Lakers these playoffs. They rank third in points allowed per game, but their timely offensive has been the difference-maker. The Heat’s scoring depth has been fully evident in these playoffs. It seems like there is always a different player ready to step up in the fourth to make it a win.
Miami has six players scoring double-digit points in the postseason. Butler, Goran Dragic, and Bam Adebayo alone are averaging a little over 60 points per game. The Heat just finished an 11-game playoff run against the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics. They were underdogs 10 times, favorites once. And that was because of the absence of NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. At this point, if you still doubt them, they will gleefully make you eat crow.
Miami is 12-3 ATS in their last 15 games. The total has gone over in five of Miami’s last six games. Miami is 12-3 SU in their last 15 games. The Heat are 1-6 SU in their last seven games against the Lakers. Miami is 7-1 ATS in their last eight games on the road. The total has gone under in nine of Miami’s last 10 games on the road against the Lakers. Miami is 5-2 ATS in their last seven games this season.
Betting Los Angeles Lakers
Experience and skill are the cornerstones of the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers’ NBA Finals experience would surpass almost any NBA team other than the Golden State Warriors. They have players like LeBron James, Rajon Rondo, Dwight Howard, JaVale McGee, Danny Green and Quinn Cook. They all have made appearances in the final series of the season. It could prove invaluable in the final minutes of a game to have people who have been here before. And not just acting like it.
In the talent department, the Lakers have two of the very best in LeBron James and Anthony Davis. LeBron has been dismantling defenses for ages and was at the top of his game closing out the Nuggets in Game 5 with 38 points. Davis might not have gotten this far before in his career. But these playoffs, not one defense has been able to stop him in the paint or on the perimeter.
He’s scoring 28.8 points and grabbing 10.9 rebounds per game and shooting 57% from the floor. The Lakers seem to be peaking heading into the NBA Finals. According to the best sportsbooks, they are 12-3 SU in the postseason bubble, it’s tough to make a case against Los Angeles and James. Even if he has won just three championships out of nine Finals appearances.
Miami Heat vs. Los Angeles Lakers NBA Betting Picks
The Lakers will win, the Heat will cover the spread, and the total will go over.
