One more win. That’s all the Los Angeles Lakers need to become the new NBA champions. Up 3-1, the Lakers are virtually locked to lift the Larry O’Brien Trophy soon. That being said, the Miami Heat are still alive and can’t just be dismissed easily, as they can still extend this series with a win on Friday. Will the Lakers wrap it all up in five games? Or will the Heat add one more game to this series?
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Betting Preview for the Miami Heat vs Los Angeles Lakers NBA Finals Game 5 on October 9, 2020
Where: Walt Disney World, Orlando
When: Friday, October 9, 2020, 9:00 PM ET
Line: Miami Heat (+7) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (-7) – view all 2019-20 NBA lines
TV Broadcast: ABC
Betting on the Miami Heat (+7)
Regular Season Record: 44-29
This time, Jimmy Butler didn’t score 40 points nor recorded a triple-double, which led to a 102-96 loss in Game 4. Butler put up 22 points instead to go with 10 rebounds and nine assists in 43 minutes. With all the work that he’s putting in this finals series, it’s possible that he’ll come into the next game feeling drained and just feeding off the adrenaline. Butler has played at least 43 minutes in every game since Game 2, but he can’t rest. The Heat can’t afford it. When Miami won Game 3, he let it all out on the floor, and the Heat are going to ask the same for Butler if they are to extend the series. That might need more playing time for Kelly Olynyk, who played just 12 minutes and scored four points in Game 4, as Bam Adebayo made his return to action. With Adebayo starting and playing heavy minutes again, the Heat didn’t have much of that space they had when Olynyk was playing a lot. With their backs against the wall, Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra might take the bold move of giving Olynyk increased time on the floor and let Butler repeat his aggressiveness in Game 3.
The Heat are 3-0 against the spread in their last three games overall.
Betting on the Los Angeles Lakers (-7)
Regular Season Record: 52-19
LeBron James can smell that 4-6 NBA Finals record. The four-time NBA MVP scored 28 points and added 12 rebounds and eight assists to lead the Lakers in Game 4, while Anthony Davis contributed 22 points, nine rebounds, and four blocks. The Lakers have come this far with those two players leading them and they will again lean on those two to deliver for them in what they hope will be the title-clinching game on Friday. However, the performance of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in Game 4 shouldn’t be overlooked. The shooting guard made key baskets and finished with 15 points and five assists in Game 4. It’s important for the Lakers to get Caldwell-Pope or even Danny Green to get hot from the perimeter to open up Miami’s zone defense. The Lakers are shooting 35.5 percent from deep through four games in the finals.
The Lakers are 5-2 against the spread in their last seven games as the home team.
Writer’s Prediction
The Lakers win the 2020 NBA Championship, 110-100, giving LeBron his fourth (*) ring.
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