Los Angeles Lakers v Miami Heat Betting Tips [30 September 2020]

It's been almost one year since the NBA season began but amidst all the uncertainty in the world the action has continued on the court inside the bubble in Orlando. The longest ever NBA campaign will come to its conclusion with the firm favourites from the West the LA Lakers taking on the Eastern Conference champions Miami Heat who are looking to write an underdog story in the NBA Finals. 

Both these franchises failed to make it to the play-offs last year but the drafting of Anthony Davis to Los Angeles and the change in approach from Miami has catapulted both teams to greater heights this time around. The Lakers are spearheaded by three-time NBA champion LeBron James who at 35 has stood up and led his team to the showpiece. This is James' 18th season in the league and after back-to-back titles with Miami Heat in 2012 and 2013 and a championship victory in Cleveland he is aiming to win the ultimate prize with a third different franchise alongside Robert Horry and John Salley both of whom claimed a ring when playing for the Lakers. The Western Conference champions have came through the play-offs relatively unscathed despite losing their opening game of the post-season in a 4-1 series win over Portland Trail Blazers and a determined Denver Nuggets team in the Conference finals. All three series so far have went the way of the Lakers on a 4-1 score-line and they have lost just one of their last nine play-off games. The Lakers have been excellent at both ends of the court averaging 113.9 points per game in the play-offs with a 49.8% field-goal percentage as well as averaging a post-season high 5.7 blocks per game. 

Miami come into their first finals since 2014 with an identical play-off record to their counterparts; 12-3 and managed to upset all the odds in the east to emerge as champions despite being the 5th seed. As a result the Heat can become the lowest-seeded team to ever win the NBA Finals if they can go one step further and rain on ex-star LeBron James' and the LA Lakers parade. Miami made the finals in four consecutive seasons between 2011 and 2014 and LBJ was part of the team that won back-to-back titles under coach Erik Spoelstra. Pat Riley, now of the Lakers, coached Heat to glory back in 2006 and alongside LeBron James the player and coach will be aiming to dispose of their former employers on their way to another title for the most storied franchise in NBA history. 

LeBron James will be hellbent on making history with the Lakers before he perhaps rides off into the sunset but Miami Heat have already toppled some big-hitters including the top two seeds in the east; Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks and with some interesting match-ups to feature we could be in for an intriguing series. I'm expecting a lively finals opener and I'm tipping over 217.5 points to be scored in this game.