The final regular-season face-off of last year’s NBA Champions, the Los Angeles Lakers, and last year’s Eastern Conference champions, the Miami Heat, takes off this Thursday, April 8. The Lakers tumbled down to fifth place in the Western Conference, while the Miami Heat only started to pick up the pace later into the season, now holding onto the sixth spot in the Eastern Conference.

Some see this as a 2020 NBA Finals rematch, and we have no doubts that this game will deliver. That being said, NitroBetting news sees to it that you get all the information you need about the game, including the latest NBA betting lines, trends, and our very own expert betting prediction.

Lakers vs. Heat Game Information

The Dragon has entered the top 5 of our all-time assists list ?

Congrats @Goran_Dragic! pic.twitter.com/8BxrFh4jG2

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) April 7, 2021

• When: Thursday, April 8, 2021, 7:30 PM ET
• Where: American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida
• TV: NBA TV / ESPN
• Radio: 710 ESPNLA (Lakers) / 790 THE TICKET (Heat)
• Live Stream: NBA League Pass
• NBA Betting Odds: Heat -370 / -8.0 (-111)

Why Bet on the Lakers?

The Lakers faced several speed bumps after losing Anthony Davis and LeBron James due to injury. They are coming off a 9-point win against the Raptors after getting demolished by the LA Clippers, 104-86.

With the absence of their two stars, the Lakers have to dig deep in this game and players have to step up. Their last game shows a more evenly distributed ball game, with 7 players scoring double-digits.

Ex-LA Clipper Montrezl Harrell has been carrying the workload underneath the rim, and he has to be more consistent before LeBron James and Anthony Davis get back on the floor in a few weeks’ time. He has significantly improved on the defensive end and averages 17.6 points and 8.8 rebounds in his last 10 games for the Lakers.

Another player that recently received more playing time is Talen Horton-Tucker, who recorded 17 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds in 26 minutes against the Raptors.

Why Bet on the Heat?

It was a tough first half of the regular season for the Heat, but after finding their footing, the team was able to regain a spot in the top 8 of the Eastern Conference. Now holding the No. 6 seed, the Heat are back in playoff contention and are now looking to create another winning streak following their recent 124-112 loss to the Grizzlies.

The Heat took a different route when they moved Goran Dragic to the bench. This upped their bench-scoring firepower and more added depth to the team, which was significantly lacking in their previous games. Since the application of this strategy, the bench produced an average of 39.5 points per game from 27.5 points per game in the previous two outings.

Furthermore, Victor Oladipo playing starting point guard seems to be working for Coach Erik Spoelstra, giving the team more defensive prowess in the backcourt. This combined with the leadership of Jimmy Butler and the shooting ability of Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson makes for a well-rounded team.

Lakers vs. Heat Betting Trends

• Lakers are 5-5 against the spread in their last 10 away games.
• Lakers are 4-6 in their last 10 games.
• The totals have gone over four times in the Lakers’ last 10 away games.
• Heat are 4-6 in their last 10 home games.
• Heat are 3-7 against the spread in their last 10 home games.
• The totals have gone over 6 times in the Heat’s last 10 games.

Lakers vs. Heat Expert Betting Prediction

The circumstances leading to this game are miles different than their first meeting in February. Although the Heat took the narrow win that time, they are looking more robust leading to this Lakers vs. Heat outing. Without LeBron James and Anthony Davis, it’s going to be a challenge for the Lakers to find ways to create open looks and at the same time match the defensive pace of the Heat.

The Lakers remain a threat to covering the spread, but it will be a tall order for the team to bring home the win. If their bench players can deliver the points, they can pull off the win.

On the other hand, Spoelstra has a more stacked lineup than the Lakers. With Butler, Oladipo, and Bam Adebayo forming a three-headed attack, the Heat are looking good ahead of this match.

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*All odds stated are subject to change without prior notice.