Dismal Lakers Host Reigning Champion Heat | IXGAMES
Although you can only imagine the different expectations broadcast executives had for where Kobe Bryant and company would be sitting in the standings at this point in the season, that doesn’t make the Thursday night showdown between the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat any less special. Get NBA odds for the high-profile matchup today. In front of their home crowd, the faltering Lakers will hope to use the reigning champion Heat to send a message. A resounding victory over LeBron James and company would help the once-proud L.A. franchise reclaim some of the momentum it’s lost over the course of the first three months of this NBA season. Now they just have to pull it off. Although previously the Lakers were considered one of the safest NBA betting options available, their dismal first half has fans not only reconsidering whether they’ll contend for a title, but even make the playoffs at all. The Heat, in contrast, have had no such struggles. Currently leading the Eastern Conference standings and the NBA futures, Miami has looked every bit as capable enough to repeat at the top of the league totem pole – even when tested by some of the toughest clubs the league has to offer. Will the mid-season matchup between the Heat and the Lakers live up to the hype? That, you might say, depends on which Lakers team actually shows up. Get your 50% free bet welcome bonus from Bovada’s online sportsbook.