NBA Finals Game 3 betting preview: Lakers getting whatever they want
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Will the Heat finally get on the board in the NBA Finals, or do the Lakers take a commanding 3-0 series lead?
Here's all the betting info you need for Sunday's Game 3.
Miami Heat vs. Los Angeles Lakers (-9.5, 220)
Remember when the Lakers climbed from five-point favorites in Game 1 to nine-point chalk in Game 2 and I questioned if that adjustment was too significant? Yeah, it turns out it wasn't enough. Los Angeles stormed out to a 14-point halftime lead and covered in the 124-114 win.
The Game 2 number dropped a couple of points from the opener after Game 1 went under the total. Following 238 combined points from these two clubs Friday, the total for Game 3 has jumped from 218.5 to 220.5.
The case for Miami
At least the Heat are making progress, right? Miami posted 114 points Friday despite taking only 71 shots from the floor after being held to 98 in Wednesday's opener. The Heat's 3-point-reliant offense shot better than 50% from the floor overall but only managed to attempt 27 threes and make 11.
Right now, the injury bug is hurting Miami. There's a slim chance Bam Adebayo could play, but there's no guarantee he - or veteran guard Goran Dragic, who also missed Game 1 - will be available Sunday.
Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra typically does a great job at getting his team up after a loss; he nearly pulled off a cover in Friday's 10-point defeat. As it stands, Miami is currently on a 35-15-1 run against the spread following an outright loss.
The case for Los Angeles
It's been too easy for the Lakers. They shot better than 50% from the field in Game 2, poured in 56 points in the paint, and won the fast-break battle. L.A. is currently firing on all cylinders, and this team could put the dagger in Miami on Sunday.
LeBron James has never been up 2-0 in an NBA Finals series. Considering what he's already accomplished in his storied career, perhaps the league should start engraving his name on the trophy. To make matters worse for the Heat, he hasn't even been the best player in the series - that'd be Anthony Davis, who's averaging 33 points and 11.5 rebounds through two games.
Notable betting trends
- Miami is 13-4 ATS the last 17 games overall
- Miami is 9-3 ATS the last 12 playing on one day of rest
- Miami is 11-4 ATS the last 15 after allowing 100 or more points
- Miami is 5-1 to the over the last six overall
- Los Angeles is 7-3-1 ATS the last 11 as a playoff favorite
- Los Angeles is 1-3-1 ATS the last five playing on one day of rest
- Los Angeles is 6-1 to the under the last seven NBA Finals games
- Los Angeles is 4-1 to the over the last five as a playoff favorite
(Odds source: theScore Bet)
Alex Kolodziej is a betting writer for theScore. He's a graduate of Eastern Illinois who has been involved in the sports betting industry for 12 years. He can quote every line from "Rounders" and appreciates franchises that regularly wear alternate jerseys. Find him on Twitter @AJKolodziej.