Undefeated At Home, Heat Are Still Underdogs Against Lakers

Despite having yet to lose at home this season, the Heat find themselves as underdogs against the Lakers, who are the NBA’s best road team. With LeBron and Anthony Davis leading the charge, a young Miami squad will have its work cut out to keep its pristine home record intact.

Sportsbook Odds Analysis

As good as Miami has been this season, especially at home, Los Angeles is one of the best teams in the NBA, so it opened as a 3-point favorite even though Miami is a perfect 11-0 at AmericanAirlines Arena.

Los Angeles News & Notes

The Lakers are the NBA’s top road warriors with an NBA-best 12-1 record away from home this season. Even more incredible is that they average more points per game on the road compared to their output at the Staples Center. They had to slog through their last road win, though, a 96-87 battle over Orlando on Wednesday, where LeBron James did what he does best: carry his team when it needs him the most.

James notched his sixth triple-double of the season, with 25 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, but he also scored all 10 points in a 10-0 fourth-quarter run that put the Lakers ahead for good.

In his 17th season, LeBron is averaging 25.8 points and 7.0 rebounds per game, along with a career-high (and NBA-best) 10.8 assists per game — in a career-low 34.5 minutes per game.

James may need to play some extra minutes against Miami as Los Angeles may again be without forward Kyle Kuzma, who missed Wednesday’s game with an ankle injury and is questionable for Friday.

Miami News & Notes

There are just two teams in the NBA that have yet to lose a game at home: Philadelphia and Miami.

The Heat are 11-0 this season on their home turf, and they’ve jumped out to an 18-6 record on the season without two key players, as Goran Dragic and Justise Winslow have both missed chunks of the season.

Miami has emerged as a team with a deep, talented roster. It has seven players averaging double figures in scoring, led by all-star Jimmy Butler and his 20.6 points per game. Its second-leading scorer is surprising rookie Kendrick Nunn, who adds 16.2 points per contest and buried a game-high 36 in Tuesday’s win over Atlanta.

Nunn, Butler and company average 118.8 points per game at home, but they’ll be forced to earn their baskets Friday against a Lakers defense that gives up the seventh-fewest points per game on the road.

Betting Pick: Lakers -3

The Lakers boast two of the league’s five best players, and they’re going to be the difference in a clash between a dominant home squad and an elite road team.