Article courtesy OddsShark (@OddsShark)
The Los Angeles Lakers improved to 9-1 straight up and 7-2-1 against the spread over their last 10 games with their victory over the Miami Heat on Wednesday night. The NBA Finals continue on Friday night in Orlando.
Los Angeles is a 10-point favorite on the NBA odds for Game 2 at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. This will be the Heat’s eighth straight game as an underdog, but their first time going off at higher than +4.5 over that stretch.
Heat vs Lakers | OddsShark Matchup Report
The Lakers entered the NBA Finals with a 1-2 SU and ATS record through their first three Game 1s of the NBA playoffs. They looked like they could be in for another frustrating series opener when Miami jumped out to a 23-10 lead in the first quarter, but from that point on it was all Lakers.
Los Angeles entered the second half with a 65-48 lead and coasted to a 116-98 win. LeBron James came up an assist shy of a triple double with 25 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists while Anthony Davis led the way in scoring with 34 points.
Los Angeles is 15-2 SU and 11-6 ATS in its last 17 games as a betting favorite of seven points or more per the OddsShark NBA Database. That stretch includes a 6-0 SU and 4-2 ATS record this postseason.
Game 1 went about as poorly as it could go for the Heat. Miami is no stranger to bouncing back from losses with a 4-0 SU and ATS record in its last four games coming off a loss including two blowout losses against the Boston Celtics.
But in addition to getting torched on the scoreboard, the Heat also lost Goran Dragic with a foot injury and Bam Adebayo with a neck injury. Both are considered doubtful for Game 2, and it’s difficult to imagine they’d be anywhere close to 100% even if they did manage to play.
Friday night’s total is set at 216.5 points at sports betting sites. The OVER is 4-1 in Miami’s last five games and 4-2 in Los Angeles’ last six games.
What a difference a game makes. This series looked like it could be a challenging one for the Lakers before it began, and one game later it feels like Los Angeles is in complete control. The Lakers can turn that feeling of control into a reality by taking a 2-0 series lead with a win on Friday night.
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