NBA
Miami Heat vs Los Angeles Lakers Preview: Odds, Tips and Prediction
Kick Off Time: 7.00 pm/PST Venue: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California SportsBoom previews the NBA cross-conference match between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat at Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday, 15 January 2025. With the season approaching its mid-point, excitement is building ahead of tipoff, and NBA betting fans are already diving into the odds and assessing both teams, hoping to find the best value on their favorite NBA betting sites. For a detailed, in-depth look at the match, be sure to check out our full preview.
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Kevin Love drives to the basket on LeBron James//Getty Images
The Los Angeles Lakers will host the Miami Heat on home turf in their second meeting of the season looking to evening the regular season series at 1-1 apiece. It’s hard to validate if the Lakers have had a good season so far but their record is positive as they are placed in six on the blood bath that is the Western Conference standings. The Lakers are trying to maximize the LeBron/AD era with another championship and much of their success will be determined in the post-season if they eventually make it.
On the other hand, the Miami Heat are still winning games despite being in turmoil over the last couple of weeks. They are placed sixth in the Eastern Conference standings and seem to be a shoe-in for the post season despite the drama and trading rumours surrounding their two-way Superstar Jimmy Butler, who officially requested a trade from the organization.
Pre-Game Odds and Win Probability
Miami Heat: 13/10 (2.30) – 43.5%
Los Angeles Lakers: 4/7 (1.57) – 63.5%
Forecast Odds – Betting available on Stake closer to event
Head-to-Head Record
The Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat have played 73 games in the regular season with 39 victories for the Lakers and 34 for the Heat. In the playoffs they have played each other six times, with the Lakers claiming four victories to the Heat’s two.
Over a recent five-game stretch, the Heat have been utterly dominant winning four of their duels against the Lakers and losing only one.
LAST FIVE MATCHES
| Season | Date | Result |
| 2024/2025 | December 4th, 2024 | Miami Heat 134-93 Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2023/2024 | January 3rd, 2024 | Los Angeles Lakers 96-110 Miami Heat |
| 2023/2024 | November 6th, 2023 | Miami Heat 108-107 Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2022/2023 | January 4th, 2023 | Los Angeles Lakers 112-109 Miami Heat |
| 2022/2023 | December 28th , 2022 | Miami Heat 112-98 Los Angeles Lakers |
Los Angeles Lakers: Current Form – LLWWL
- Overall Record: 20-16
- Home Record: 12-5
- Away Record: 8-11
The Los Angeles Lakers are having a relatively good season far from what many expected at the beginning of the season considering the Western Conference is a Juggernaut. They have been jostling between third place and tenth in the standings for much of the season, with teams crammed up and separated by a few games. The Lakers have already improved their wing positions with the trade of Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton that sent D'Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis, and three second-round picks to Brooklyn.
Head coach JJ Redick had brought a fast-paced offense that has revitalized the roster and with the Lakers still active on the trade market, preferably on the lookout for another frontcourt player, the sky is their limit.
LeBron James continues to defy father time despite turning 40 years old last month and Anthony Davis is playing at an All-NBA level leading the team in points per game, rebounds, blocks and steals. Austin Reaves has settled as the starting point guard and Rui Hachimura is finally back at his best.
A majority of role player are returning from injury setbacks and once the Lakers sort out chemistry issues, they are guaranteed to be a problem due to the championship experience on their roster.
However, the Lakers have a habit of losing games they were expected to win and sometimes they are awful, to say the least. Last week’s loss in Dallas against the Mavericks who were without their two best players is one such case.
The Heat thoroughly thrashed them in their first match-up of the season in what was their worst performance to date. Given the recent Heat dominance, the Lakers have a point to prove in this fixture.
Anthony Davis, battles Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro//Getty Images
Key Players to Watch
- LeBron James: LeBron James is still one of the best players in the NBA despite turning 40 years old. King James leads the Lakers in assists and can take over the game whenever he sees fit. Playing against one of his former employers, he will be motivated to put on a virtuoso performance.
- Anthony Davis: Anthony Davis is playing at an MVP level this season. Although Davis can be frustrating to watch a times, he is still one of the most dominant big men in the NBA and a defensive monster. The “Brow” will be facing fellow Olympic Teammate Bam Adebayo, and this duel will activate his competitive spirit an extra notch.
- Austin Reaves: Austin Reaves has finally settled as the point guard after playing shooting guard since his rookie season. The “White Mamba’s” playmaking has vastly improved and his defensive game continues to grow. Reaves is tasked with pacing the game, an element that is crucial in JJ Redick’s system.
Los Angeles Lakers News
Jarred Vanderbilt is yet to suit up for the Lakers this season with a foot injury similar to Christian Wood who is recovering from Knee injuries. Cam Reddish is questionable due to lower back soreness and Jalen Hood-Schifino strained left hamstring will be evaluated.
Miami Heat: Current Form – WWLLL
- Overall Record: 19-17
- Home Record: 10-7
- Away Record: 9-10
The Miami Heat have steadied the ship despite being in turmoil over the last month. Superstar Jimmy Butler has requested a trade from the franchise after his relationship with the team’s President and minority owner took a turn for the worse.
Head coach Erik Spoelstra has rallied the team to a decent record and ranking on the Eastern Conference standings, and with the “Heat Culture” at play a postseason berth is certainly attainable.
Bam Adebayo has transitioned smoothly to the role of a franchise player and will be crucial for the future of the team. Tyler Herro is a borderline All-Star candidate and his play has been inspirational for the team.
The Heat have been riding a two-game winning streak after three consecutive losses and will be looking to quickly move from the persistent Butler drama that has been a distraction.
The Heat have been dominant against the Lakers over the recent matchups and will be looking to continue the trend. In the earlier contest this season in Miami, they handed the Lakers a beat down with Tyler Herro putting on a shooting clinic scoring 21 of his 31 points in the third quarter.
The Heat set a franchise record for assists with 42, tied another franchise record with 24 3-pointers, and the 41-point margin of victory was the third-biggest in team history.
Key Players to Watch
- Bam Adebayo: Bam Adebayo is doing “Bam things” although his stat line fails to show his importance to the Heat. Bam is the heart and soul of the team as well as their defensive anchor. Bam’s tenacity, grit and determination are reflected in his dominance on the defensive side of the game as he leads the Heat in rebounds, blocks and steals.
- Tyler Herro: Tyler Herro’s game has taken a significant leap this season. Herro is the team's scoring and assist leader. He can scorch teams in an instant as evidenced by the previous match-up against the Lakers and is sure to be a thorn in this duel in Los Angeles.
- Jimmy Butler: Jimmy Butler has been absent from the team’s lineup despite not suffering an injury or illness puzzling many over the sudden unavailability. However, Butler is still one of the best players in the association and if he decides to suit up, he will be a valuable weapon against the Lakers.
Miami Heat News
Kevin Love is questionable for personal reasons but he may suit up for the game and Dru Smith is out for the season after undergoing successful surgery to repair a ruptured left Achilles tendon.
Predicted Line-Ups
Los Angeles Lakers Line-up
- Point Guard: Austin Reaves
- Shooting Guard: Max Christie
- Small Forward: LeBron James
- Power Forward: Rui Hachimura
- Center: Anthony Davis
Miami Heat Line-up
- Point Guard: Tyler Herro
- Shooting Guard: Terry Rozier
- Small Forward: Jimmy Butler
- Power Forward: Haywood Highsmith
- Center: Bam Adebayo
Suggested Bets
Los Angeles Lakers to Win: The Lakers are seeking to claim victory after putting up their worst performance against Miami in their previous matchup.
Miami Heat to cover the Spread: Miami is equally a high-performing team hence they are expected to cover the spread.
Over 210.5 total points: This is expected to be a high-scoring affair.
Value Bets
Tyler Herro - Over 22.5 Points: Herro has been in excellent scoring form, averaging over 25 points in recent games. With Jimmy Butler potentially absent, Herro is likely to take on an increased scoring load for the Heat. Lakers defense struggles to contain strong perimeter shooters, making this a solid pick.
Anthony Davis - Over 10.5 Rebounds + 2 blocks: Davis is a dominant force on the boards putting up rebounds and blocks in plenty. He will face a Heat team that sometimes struggles with team rebounding. His activity in the paint makes this a strong value bet.
LeBron James – Over 25.5 points and + 5 assists: LeBron has been consistent in filling up the stat sheet against the Heat. His familiarity with coach Erik Spoelstra’s system is an added advantage as is his motivation to put on a showcase against his for employers over his career.
Prediction: Los Angeles Lakers to win
The Los Angeles Lakers have been blowing hot and cold recently with disappointing losses and amazing wins in equal measure. However, with their worst performance of their season occurring in their earlier match-up against the Heat, they will be motivated to seek revenge and end their recent losing streak against Miami. The Heat have a knack for beating the Lakers when least expected but their ongoing Butler drama is surely an unwanted distraction. The Lakers will rely on their home-court advantage, star power and vengeance at stake to secure the victory and even the regular season series at 1 apiece.
Ian Mugo Wanyeki is based in Nairobi, Kenya. He is a sports enthusiast with vast knowledge of different sport disciplines. Ian is a graduate with a Bachelor’s of Science degree from Kenyatta University. He is a Kenyan journalist who’s worked as a sports analyst at Covenant Television Network, as a sports reporter at NTV and as a Sports Correspondent/contributor at Quartz Africa.
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