NBA Betting Trends: Miami Heat vs. Los Angeles Lakers

NBA Betting Trends: Miami Heat vs. Los Angeles Lakers

In today’s most anticipated game, two powerhouses will collide when the Miami Heat (28-8) travel to Los Angeles to take on the Lakers (22-14). Adding to the hype for this game is the matchup between Dwyane Wade and Kobe Bryant. Last Sunday in the All-Star game, Bryant suffered a broken nose and mild concussion after a flagrant foul from Wade. The Black Mamba figures to be out for revenge today when these teams square off at 3:30 eastern time.

One key factor to monitor is that status of two-thirds of Miami’s triumvirate. Wade is expected to play despite an ankle injury; however Chris Bosh has missed the past two games while dealing with the death of his grandmother and is currently listed as questionable. Our Premium and All-Pro members have access to breaking injury alerts, but all members can check in with our NBA injury page to check a player’s status prior to tip-off.

The Heat opened as a 3-point favorite at the market-setting Cris sportsbook and, according to Sports Insights’ NBA Betting Trends, are currently receiving 73% of spread wagers and 66% of moneyline bets. Despite this lop-sided betting percentage, the line at Cris has moved to -2.5.  This reverse line movement is a strong indicator that sharp money lines the home underdog.

While almost the entire marketplace is shopping this game at -3, a handful of books — including Heritage and Grande — are currently offering a line of -3.5. This once again demonstrates the importance of shopping for the best line.

The following table shows the breakdown of spread betting percentages from our six contributing sportsbooks: