NBA: LA Clippers vs. Miami Heat Preview, Odds, Prediction

The LA Clippers continue their very tough tour through East in Miami, where they meet with the Heat. After making a memorable comeback against the Wizards and historic achievement, the Clips will try to make another big win and further raise their form. They are currently eighth in the West, close to the direct playoff spot, and they need to connect a few wins in a row to reach it. Meanwhile, the Heat is atop the East standings, looking quite well and stable. Despite numerous injuries and problems, this unit didn’t lose its grip and is right now very confident.

Preview

LA Clippers (25-25, TBA) have played five straight matches on the road, seven in the past eight events. At the moment, they are coming after back-to-back wins, the ones in Washington and Orlando. Clippers made a 35-point comeback two nights ago in DC, which is the second-largest in the history of the league.

Less than 24 hours later, Tyronn Lue’s unit defeated the Orlando Magic in Florida, 111-102. Another furious closure, as they outscored the hosts 35-24 in the final 12 minutes, was decisive, and again Amir Coffey had a team-high scoring performance in his second straight event.

The shooting guard ended the night with 19 points, two more than the red-hot Luke Kennard, the hero of the contest versus the Wizards. Terance Mann had 14 buckets, Eric Bledsoe 13 off the bench, and Nicola Batum 12. Reggie Jackson wasn’t up to the task on the offensive side of the ball, with only nine points, 3-for-11 from the field, ahiwl Ivica Zubac had eight.

The Miami Heat (31-17, TBA) took over the leading spot in the Eastern Conference, but Erik Spoelstra and his crew aren’t satisfied with only that. We all know what they want, the NBA title. That’s the goal for these Heat. They’ve been pretty good in the recent three weeks, with an 8-2 score.

The Heat played four of the last five events at home, winning all of them, with the latest two being against two very big rivals – the Lakers and the Knicks. NYK didn’t stand any chances in Miami, losing 110-96, with the hosts immediately taking control over the game, and setting the tone. The first 12 minutes saw them outscoring the rivals, 30-16.

Duncan Robinson had 25 buckets, a team-high, Jimmy Butler scored 22, PJ Tucker 20. Tyler Herro is returning to form following his absence, and one of the biggest favorites for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award dropped 21 points with six boards and four assists.

Head to Head

The Clippers hosted the Heat on November 11 and won that match after a very tight finish, 112-102. Miami had a 15-point lead after the opening period, but wasted it later on.

Prediction

With the Heat playing like this right now, the Clippers are going to have a very tough time at the American Airlines Arena. Our money is on the hosts, who have a deeper roster and play extremely confidently at home, posting 17 victories in 22 events this season. Therefore, the Heat is our choice.

Pick: Miami Heat

Here is the preview for the Knicks vs. Bucks game.