LeBron James and the Miami Heat will be at home on Thursday night as they take on Blake Griffin and the Los Angeles Clippers in marquee NBA betting action at the sportsbooks.
The Heat and Clippers met twice last season, with each team winning and covering the posted spread at home; Miami won 111-89 as a 3.5-point favorite in their own building.
The OVER paid out in both Heat vs. Clippers games last season.
The Clippers will try to spoil to the party on Thursday; they are 3-2 ATS against the number this season, while the Heat are 2-3 ATS. (Note: follow us on Twitter for line updates and injuries news). Los Angeles is 4-1 on the totals; Miami is 4-1.
View Los Angeles Clippers vs Miami Heat Odds and Stats.
Those backing the visitors in this one found the Clippers listed as 5-point underdogs earlier at Sportsbook. Meanwhile, the OVER/UNDER line for this game was set at 209.5 at Sportsbook but may have moved since Sportsbook.
The Odds Shark Power Rankings have the Heat at No. 3 and the Clippers at No. 2 heading into this contest. Handicapping models run by the computers at Odds Shark project a 104-102 result in favor of the Heat.
Los Angeles lost its last outing, a 98-90 result against the Magic on November 6. The Clippers failed to cover in that game as a 6.5-point favorite, while the 188 combined points took the game UNDER the total. The Clippers got a 23-point performance from Blake Griffin, who added 13 rebounds, but Orlando still ran past Los Angeles 98-90 on Wednesday at Amway Center.
Last time out for Miami, they were a 104-95 Sportsbook as they battled the Raptors on the road. The Heat covered in the match as a 5.5-point favorite, while 199 combined points moved the game OVER for totals bettors. Miami got 35 points from LeBron James en route to a 104-95 victory over Toronto on Tuesday at Air Canada Centre.
How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Miami's No. 6-ranked offense (104.8 PPG) against a Clippers defense that ranks No. 30 at 109.6 PPG. The Heat have averaged 50.13% from the field per game, more than the Clippers have managed so far this season (47.54% on average).
A few Clippers at Heat trends to consider:
LA Clippers is 12-5-1 SU in its last 18 games
LA Clippers is 3-5-1 SU in its last 9 games
LA Clippers is 1-4-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 11 of LA Clippers's last 14 games when playing Miami
Miami is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Miami's last 5 games
Miami is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Miami's last 8 games at home
Next up:
Los Angeles at Houston, Saturday, November 9th
Miami at Boston, Saturday, November 9th
