Miami Heat vs. Los Angeles Lakers Spread, Line, Odds, Predictions, Picks, and Betting Preview 

Miami Heat vs. Los Angeles Lakers NBA Game Information

Heat (12-17) vs. Lakers (22-8)

Date: Saturday, February 20

Time: 8:30 p.m. ET

Venue: Staples Center

TV Coverage: ABC

Miami Heat vs. Los Angeles Lakers Moneyline, Spread, Total, and Odds

Moneyline: Heat +132 / Lakers -156

Spread: Heat +3.5 (-110) Lakers -3.5 (-110)

Total: 214.5 (-110)

Odds to Win NBA Championship: Heat +3600 / Lakers +270

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Miami Heat vs. Los Angeles Lakers News and Notes

A rematch of the 2020 NBA Finals goes down in Los Angeles when the Heat meet the Lakers for the first time since being rolled over in five games for the league title. Many faces from last year’s teams are the same, but some on the court for last year’s final horn will be absent on Saturday. 

Most notably, Anthony Davis from the Lakers side and Goran Dragic from Miami will not renew acquaintances from last season’s Final. Davis is expected to be out for at least four weeks after injuring his calf last week against the Nuggets. It’s been a rough season for Dragic as he’s missed the past seven games with a sprained left ankle. The Heat’s sharpshooter has only played 17 games this season after missing a chunk of games when the Heat had a COVID outbreak. One of the Lakers’ new faces will also likely miss this game as Dennis Schroder was just put in the league’s health and safety protocols and missed Thursday’s loss to the Brooklyn Nets.

LeBron James did all he could to fight off two-thirds of Brooklyn’s Big Three two days ago, but his game-high 32 points were not enough. LeBron was the only Laker to score more than 16 on the night, with just two other players reaching double-digits. He and the Lakers were able to hold James Harden to 23 and Kyrie Irving to 16 points, but scoring 98 against the high-powered Nets isn’t going to cut it. 

The Lakers are now 1-2 since AD went down on Valentine’s Day, but LeBron has certainly stepped up his efforts. LBJ has put up back-to-back 30-point games and was just one assist short of a triple-double in their loss to the Nuggets when Davis left after 14 minutes. Now that Schroder is unlikely to play on Saturday expected LeBron to look to go north of 30 once again.

Miami has a player that knows a thing or two about triple-doubles himself. Jimmy Butler has triple-doubled in three straight and four of his past five games. Butler seems to be flirting with a trip-dub every night as he finished just an assist away and a couple of rebounds away from two more last week. It hasn’t really equated as much in the standings as Miami has lost three of their past four on this seven-game western road trip which will conclude Monday in Oklahoma City. 

The Heat have had a wild season seeing multiple players miss several games either because of injuries or on the health and safety list. Key players like Bam Adebayo, Dragic, Tyler Herro have all missed significant time, while Butler himself missed three weeks on the COVID list. Despite the Heat’s trials and tribulations, they find themselves just a game and a half out of a playoff spot and the division lead. As they begin to get, healthier Miami should be poised to make a push.

LA has covered just twice in their past seven games while hitting the over in five of seven. Miami has covered in four of their past five against the Lakers, and they went below the number in three of their past four head-to-head meetings. 

Miami Heat vs. Los Angeles Lakers Predictions and Picks

Heat cover +3.5 (-110)

Under 214.5 total points scored (-110)

LeBron James over 28.5 Points (-110)