We go over some of the best betting options for Wednesday's matchup between the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers.
The Heat rank 19th in points per game over the last five, while the Lakers have fallen off a bit and are 12th in the league in that category in the same timespan. He continues to push the Lakers to make a trade, and will want to add another statement performance to further that cause. The Heat have a fairly clean injury report at the moment, with no major rotation players on it. The Heat and Lakers are both on a two-game winning streak heading into tonight’s contest. Miami defeated LA last time by 14 points, something the Lakers will want to avoid in front of their home crowd. The total has dropped to 227.5, and we still like the under there.
Visit ESPN for the game recap of the Miami Heat vs. Los Angeles Lakers NBA basketball game on January 4, 2023.
James stayed home with a cold, while [Anthony Davis](http://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/6583/anthony-davis) and Lonnie Walker are injured. [Thomas Bryant](http://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3934723/thomas-bryant) added 21 points and nine rebounds, while Schröder was brilliant down the stretch. “They were confident in what they were doing. “Hearing that Bron is sick and AD is out as well, everybody just gave a little bit more.” [Los Angeles Lakers](http://www.espn.com/nba/team/_/name/lal/los-angeles-lakers) improbably overcame LeBron James’ absence for a 112-109 victory over the [Miami Heat](http://www.espn.com/nba/team/_/name/mia/miami-heat) on Wednesday night. [Russell Westbrook](http://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3468/russell-westbrook) had 21 points, nine assists and eight rebounds for the Lakers, who rallied from a six-point deficit in the fourth quarter and held off Miami without their top three scorers.
The Miami Heat take on the Los Angeles Lakers in an exciting NBA contest on Wednesday. Kade Kimbles breaks it down with his Heat vs. Lakers prop bets.
He finished the month of December making an average of 4.2 threes per game while shooting an average of 9.9 threes per game. Evidently, the Lakers aren’t a good shooting team so Adebayo will be able to pull down plenty of rebounds on that end, and Bryant will still be able to get his rebounds on the other end. Thomas Bryant is coming into his own with the Lakers during their last two games, as he’s pulled down a total of 32 rebounds in those games. To make things better, he started the new year shooting 5-of-9 on threes. This rematch of the 2020 NBA Finals has the potential to be a ton of fun. LeBron James is the Lakers. The Lakers sit a game and a half behind the Play-In Tournament, and they’ll need an extended win streak to catch up. [Click here for $5,000 worth of sports betting bonuses with our free bets page!](https://www.yardbarker.com/sports_betting/free_bets) [Looking to win more on today's NBA action? [Get the best odds, available at DraftKings](https://dksb.sng.link/As9kz/9xu1?_dl=https%3a%2f%2fsportsbook.draftkings.com%2fgateway%3fs%3d156215377%26wpcid%3d249782%26wpsrc%3d1860%26wpcn%3dYB_Content%26wpscn%3dBet5Get200%26wpcrn%3dxx%26wpscid%3dxx%26wpcrid%3dxx&_fallback_redirect=https%3a%2f%2fsportsbook.draftkings.com%2fgateway%3fs%3d156215377%26wpcid%3d249782%26wpsrc%3d1860%26wpcn%3dYB_Content%26wpscn%3dBet5Get200%26wpcrn%3dxx%26wpscid%3dxx%26wpcrid%3dxx&pcid=249782&psn=1860&pcn=YB_Content&pscn=Bet5Get200&pcrn=xx&pscid=xx&pcrid=xx&_ios_redirect=https%3a%2f%2fsportsbook.draftkings.com%2fgateway%3fs%3d156215377%26wpcid%3d249782%26wpsrc%3d1860%26wpcn%3dYB_Content%26wpscn%3dBet5Get200%26wpcrn%3dxx%26wpscid%3dxx%26wpcrid%3dxx&_android_redirect=https%3a%2f%2fsportsbook.draftkings.com%2fgateway%3fs%3d156215377%26wpcid%3d249782%26wpsrc%3d1860%26wpcn%3dYB_Content%26wpscn%3dBet5Get200%26wpcrn%3dxx%26wpscid%3dxx%26wpcrid%3dxx) However, the Heat should have an edge come clutch time because they have more shooting, so I like them to win a close game. Both teams have questionable role players, too. Let’s take a quick look at how these two teams match up and make our prop picks.
Miami (20-18) has been in Los Angeles all week, beating the Clippers in a 110-100 final on Monday. The Lakers (16-21) won for the third time in four games when ...
The model has simulated Lakers vs. [Visit SportsLine to see which side of the Lakers vs. Guard [Tyler Herro](/nba/players/3042352/tyler-herro/) scored 23 points in the win over the Clippers, and Miami held them to 17 points in the fourth quarter. You can head to SportsLine to [see its picks.](https://www.sportsline.com/insiders/lakers-vs-heat-odds-line-spread-proven-model-reveals-nba-picks-predictions-for-jan-4-2023/#ttag=01042023_agg_cbssports_picks_basketball_nba_model_LakersHeatNBAauto) Here are several [NBA betting lines](https://www.sportsline.com/nba/odds) for Heat vs. [Bam Adebayo](/nba/players/2844706/bam-adebayo/) scored 23 points and grabbed 14 rebounds against the Lakers last week, kickstarting a four-game stretch of 27.0 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. Heat](https://www.sportsline.com/nba/game-forecast/NBA_20230104_MIA@LAL/). The Lakers are now returning home for seven of their next nine games, and they are 8-8 at Crypto.com Arena. Miami has won four of its last five games coming into this contest, including a 110-100 win over the crosstown Clippers earlier this week. The model enters Week 12 of the 2022-23 NBA season on a stunning 38-13 roll on all [top-rated NBA picks](https://www.sportsline.com/nba/picks/) this season, returning almost $2,300. Miami (20-18) has been in Los Angeles all week, beating the [Clippers](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/LAC/los-angeles-clippers/) in a 110-100 final on Monday. Miami is favored by 6.5 points in the latest Lakers vs. Heat odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under is set at 229.5.
Action Network contributor Tyler Schmidt previews how to bet Wednesday's matchup between the Heat and Lakers.
[rebounds](https://www.actionnetwork.com/nba/props/rebounds) and [assists](https://www.actionnetwork.com/nba/props/assists). The Lakers’ only game against the Heat went under the [total](https://www.actionnetwork.com/education/over-under-total) as the L.A. Sure, the Lakers are averaging 116.1 points per game, but the Heat will control the tempo. The content on this page is for informational purposes only. [111.4](https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/advanced?dir=A&sort=DEF_RATING)), entering tonight’s games. They better hope that James is able to play, otherwise this game could get out of hand in a hurry. [10 games](https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/lebron-james-with-and-without-anthony-davis-this-season) that James has played without the Lakers star big man in the lineup. [Clippers](https://www.actionnetwork.com/nba/odds/los-angeles-clippers). They are allowing 117.6 points per game, which also ranks as the fourth-highest in the league. Outside of Butler and Adebayo, Tyler Herro has been sensational averaging a career-high 21.5 points per game while shooting 45.2% from the field this year. At least one of Butler or Adebayo has been out in 16 of the Heat’s 38 games this season. There are a few ways to attack this game even with question marks to the status of LeBron James.
NBA odds, picks, and predictions for the Miami Heat at Los Angeles Lakers on January 4. NBA betting best bet and free pick analysis.
The 112-98 win for the Heat stayed well below the number, with the teams playing a slower offensive pace and combining for only 37 points in the fourth quarter. The Heat are always an active Under bet but with totals tightening and the offense seeing an uptick in efficiency, Over results are beginning to trickle into Miami’s contests. The Lakers coughed the ball up 24 times in that meeting with Miami’s smothering defense, which the Heat converted into 31 points off turnovers. The Heat are among the more methodical offenses in the NBA, running plenty of pick-and-roll and cutters away from the ball. 9 in advanced offensive rating and letting their defense fuel easy offense, with an average of 22 points off turnovers per game in this stretch (most in the league). The Lakers are the No. 2 in pace, and not having James pushing the ball and creating plays leaves the Lakers’ transition-dependent offense stuck in sand. Los Angeles has won three of its last four, with the loss to Miami sticking out like a sore thumb. The Lakers have watched foes fire at a 49.7% clip since Davis went down. Los Angeles, which owns the second-highest pace rating in the NBA at 102.74, finished that 112-98 defeat with just a total of 93 offensive possessions — 10.5 less than its season average. The Heat don’t just play defense when their opponents have the basketball. That momentum has the Heat tabbed as 5.5-point road favorites in La-La Land.