Lakers vs. Heat Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Thursday, March 19

The Los Angeles Lakers have a tough turnaround on Thursday night after winning against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday.

Luka Doncic and company have won seven games in a row and have a 1.5-game cushion on the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference. Can they keep things rolling on the second night of a back-to-back?

The Lakers are looking to hold off a surging Miami Heat team that is the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference after a major winning streak earlier this month. The Heat are eighth in net rating over their last 15 games, and they recently got Norman Powell back in the lineup.

However, Bam Adebayo (calf) missed Tuesday’s loss to the Charlotte Hornets and he’s listed as probable on Thursday.

Oddsmakers have set the Heat as favorites in this matchup as both teams battle for playoff position in their respective conferences.

Here’s a look at the odds, a player prop target and my prediction for Thursday’s matchup.

Lakers vs. Heat Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

Lakers +3.5 (-115)
Heat -3.5 (-105)

Moneyline

Lakers: +124
Heat: -148

Total

242.5 (Over -112/Under -108)

Lakers vs. Heat How to Watch

Date: Thursday, March 19
Time: 8:00 p.m. EST
Venue: Kaseya Center
How to Watch (TV): Spectrum Sportsnet, FanDuel Sports Network (Local)
Lakers record: 44-25
Heat record: 38-31

Lakers vs. Heat Injury Reports

Lakers Injury Report

Not submitted yet

Heat Injury Report

Bam Adebayo – probable
Andrew Wiggins – out
Vladislav Goldin – out
Jahmir Young – out
Terry Rozier – out
Kel’el Ware – available
Pelle Larsson – available
Trevor Keels – out
Jaime Jaquez Jr. – questionable
Nikola Jovic – available

Lakers vs. Heat Best NBA Prop Bet

Lakers Best NBA Prop Bet

Luka Doncic 4+ 3-Pointers Made (-170)

Earlier today, I shared in my NBA Best Bets column – Peter’s Points – why I’m backing Doncic to stay hot from beyond the arc:

Luka Doncic is shooting 41.6 percent from beyond the arc since the All-Star break, and he’s been even better in the month of March.

Doncic is shooting 39.4 percent from 3 in March, but the most impressive part is that he’s taking 12.7 3-pointers per game during that stretch. That gives Doncic a great floor when it comes to this prop, as he’s made four or more shots from deep in seven games in a row.

Now, Doncic takes on a Miami Heat team that is 21st in the league in opponent 3s made per game and first in pace. So, the Lakers should get a ton of possessions to rack up points in this matchup.

There’s no way I’m fading Doncic – who is averaging 33.0 points per game – given his recent hot stretch.

Lakers vs. Heat Prediction and Pick

Los Angeles has been one of the hottest teams in the NBA, winning seven games in a row while ranking fifth in the league in net rating over its last 10.

The Heat haven’t been all that far behind, posting the No. 10 net rating in the league during their last 10 games, putting them in the conversation for the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference.

This is a tough back-to-back for the Lakers after playing Houston on Wednesday, but L.A. is 6-5 against the spread on the second night of a back-to-back this season. So, can it get to 25 games over .500 tonight?

I think the Lakers are slightly undervalued as road dogs – unless their injury report ends up featuring all of their top guys.

Miami has dropped two games in a row, including a blowout loss to the Charlotte Hornets earlier this week. The Heat are also just seven games over .500 (16-23) against teams that are .500 or better this season.

As long as the Lakers have a few of their top players (Doncic, Reaves and James) in action on Thursday, I think they’re live to pull off the upset. I’ll gladly take the points with this spread set outside a possession.

Pick: Lakers +3.5 (-115 at DraftKings)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.

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