After a win against the Suns, the Heat’s west coast swing hit a bump with Miami dropping a game in Utah, falling to the Jazz 98-83. The Heat will look to get back on track on their next couple stops, but with Golden State and the Clippers on tap for Monday and Wednesday, they could be staring at a three game skid.
Of course, the last time Miami took on Los Angeles, the Clippers fell 104-90.
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ODDS ANALYSIS
Miami comes into play with four wins SU and ATS in its last six games. The team is also a respectable 18-18-1 ATS this season, including 7-7 ATS on the road.
On the other side of the court, the Clippers dropped their game ATS on Sunday, but extended their SU winning streak to nine. They’re 7-2 ATS during that span.
Interestingly, much of that streak has come without the help of forward Blake Griffin. He’s missed the last seven games with a torn quadriceps tendon. In his absence, L.A. has gone 7-0 SU and 6-1 ATS.
Griffin will be sidelined again on Wednesday, but injuries to Miami’s Dwayne Wade and Hassan Whiteside aren’t nearly as serious. Both should play on Wednesday.
WHEN THE MIAMI HEAT ARE ON OFFENSE
The Heat aren’t a prolific scoring team. In fact, Miami ranks No. 25 in the NBA in PPG with 97. Despite the lower production, Miami has been quite successful in shooting percentage recording a 46.2 field goal percentage, ranking them seventh.
Miami is facing a solid, but unspectacular defense that’s taken a hit since losing Blake Griffin. The power forward not only led the team in scoring, but ranked amongst the top three in rebounds, blocks and steals.
On the season, the Clippers are allowing 100.3 PPG, though their shooting percentage against is very strong. The thing that could give Miami a chance are multiple opportunities with Los Angeles being beaten on the glass by 3.6 boards per game.
Individually, the Heat have a big two with Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade. They’re scoring 19.2 and 18.5 PPG respectively and lead a balanced attack.
In addition to the superstars, the Heat have serviceable players at other positions. Whiteside has become a strong third piece in his fourth NBA season, averaging a double-double for the second straight year with 12.1 PPG and 11.1 RPG.
In addition, Goran Dragic, Gerald Green and Luol Deng are all averaging at least 9.9 PPG.
With Wade dealing with a shoulder injury and Whiteside plagued by a knee injury, keep an eye on how both look early in the game. Each should play, but they could be hindered. If Wade’s shoulder is a problem, his accuracy could be impacted as seen by his 8-point performance—shooting 3-for-17 from the floor—against Utah.
If either player is hindered, fade the Heat on the road even against a Griffin-less Clippers squad. If, however, both are playing like themselves and the supporting cast is doing their thing, live bet Miami all game long.
WHEN THE LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS ARE ON OFFENSE
Los Angeles has found a lot of success both SU and ATS without Griffin, but how long can that remain the case? Griffin is the Clippers’ leading scorer with 23.2 PPG. He also provides a nice balance for an otherwise guard heavy roster.
In Griffin’s absence, look for those guards—namely Chris Paul, J.J. Redick and Jamal Crawford—to carry the team. The trio are each averaging at least a dozen PPG with Paul leading the way with 18.1 PPG to go with his staggering 9.5 APG.
Inside the paint, the Clippers will need center DeAndre Jordan to quiet Whiteside and beat him to loose caroms. Jordan is a strong shooter with a 71.5 percent mark from the floor and 11.6 PPG, but his real strength lies in his 13.4 RPG.
Overall, the Clippers are fifth in the NBA with 103.9 PPG and fourth in field goal percentage at 46.3. They’ll have a tough matchup against a Heat team ranked second defensively, allowing only 94.8 PPG.
Still, the trends are with the Clippers. Los Angeles has scored at least 109 points in six of its last eight games, topping out at 130.
BETTING TRENDS AND MATCHUPS
Keep a close eye on the Whiteside versus Jordan matchup. Each are strong rebounders and blockers and whomever wins that battle has a good shot of leading his respective squad to the dub.
Look for Jordan to get the better of the matchup, particularly if Whiteside shows any signs of injury. Still, if one of the two looks to have the better end of the matchup, back his team, particularly if they’re down by a couple early or still neck-and-neck.
For those looking to play the total, this one could be a bit tricky. Still, count on Los Angeles to get its points even without Griffin down low, which opens things up for the Heat to tack on easy points, too.
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Click here and start wagering today! The contest pitting the Miami Heat versus the Los Angeles Clippers will commence Wednesday, January 13, 2016, at 10:30 p.m. ET at Staples Center. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN.
