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Heat vs Clippers Predictions & Odds (Jan. 2)
By Eric Rosales in NBA Basketball
Published:
- The LA Clippers are 5-point favorites when they host the Miami Heat on Monday, January 2
- Kawhi Leonard missed the first meeting between these teams on Dec 8
- Read below for the Heat vs Clippers odds and predictions
Tyler Herro rang in the New Year in style for the Miami Heat (19-18, 8-10 road), a buzzer-beater giving them wins in three of their last four.
Next up is a trip to Los Angeles, where the Clippers (21-17, 11-7 home) return home after dropping the last two in a grueling 5-game trek.
This will be the second and final game between these two teams, with the Heat taking the first meeting 115-110 on Dec 8. Bam Adebayo led the way with 31 points and 10 rebounds in the win.
It all gets underway Monday (January 2) from cyrpto.com Arena at 10:30pm ET. You can watch the game live on NBA League Pass.
Heat vs Clippers Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miami Heat | +5 (-110) | +170 | OFF |
| Los Angeles Clippers | -5 (-110) | -200 | OFF |
Odds as of January 2 at DraftKings. Claim the DraftKings promo code to bet on the Heat vs Clippers game.
Despite their recent struggles, the NBA odds have Clippers as 5-point favorites, with -200 odds on the moneyline.
Sitting above the play-in fray in the West in sixth, LA is 11-7 at home. Miami is currently sitting in seventh in the east, trailing the Pacers by just a game. They are 8-10 on the road this year.
Miami Betting Outlook
After dropping a close one to the West-leading Denver Nuggets, the Heat bounced back nicely, winning the second night of a back-to-back, 126-123.
Herro drilled a triple as time expired to break the deadlock and send Miami to a New Year’s eve win. He finished the game with 29 points, nine rebounds and six assists.
TYLER HERRO GAME WINNER. 🚨🚨🚨🚨
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) January 1, 2023
Over the last 10 games, Herro has been one of Miami’s best players, averaging 23.9 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.4 assists while shooting 40.2% from distance. The Heat have gone 7-3 in those games.
Adebayo had a strong night, finishing with a game-high 32 points, adding eight boards and five dimes. Victor Oladipo came off the bench with 23 points, five rebounds and five assists.
Miami was without all-star Jimmy Butler, who sat out the game to rest his ailing right knee. He’s listed as day-to-day, but should be in the lineup for Tuesday.
Los Angeles Betting Outlook
After moving to a season-best six games over .500, the Clippers have dropped two straight. They lost 131-130 to the Pacers last time out, two nights after dropping a 116-110 decision to the NBA-best Boston Celtics.
Paul George lit his former Pacer team on fire on New Year’s eve, finishing with 45 points — the most by a Clipper this season — nine rebounds and four assists. He hit 7-for-13 from distance.
Kawhi Leonard was the only other Clip to crack 20+, finishing with 24 points, five rebounds and seven dimes.
45 PTS (season-high)
9 REB
4 AST
3 STL
7 3PMPaul George put in work for the Clippers tonight. pic.twitter.com/9o0nyDmjT9
— NBA (@NBA) December 31, 2022
As a team, LA shot 53.8% from the field, while drilling 16-for-34 from downtown, a 47.1% clip. Their undoing was 15 turnovers, which led to the Pacers taking eight more shots in the game. They allowed Indy to shoot 52.3% from the field.
Like the Heat, the Clippers struggle offensively. Miami is the lowest scoring team in the NBA, putting up just 109 per contest. The Clippers are 28th, dropping 109.7.
Conversely, they are top-4 defensive scoring units. The Clips hold teams to 109.4 points (3rd) and the Heat are just behind in fourth at 109.4.
Heat vs Clippers Prediction
One area the Clippers can potentially take advantage of is Miami’s poor 3-point shooting defense. Teams are hitting 13.5 triples against the Heat per night, the fourth-worst mark in the NBA. Teams shoot 36.9% against them from distance, which ranks 28th.
Los Angeles happens to shoot it at the 8th-best rate in the league, at 37.5%.
Miami has not been a great bet after a win, running a 4-16-2 mark against the spread in their last 22 games. They’re also just 1-7 ATS in the last eight head-to-head meetings between these teams.
Leonard missed the previous meeting between the two, and he should feature prominently in this one.
While I think LA will win, they’re just 9-9 ATS as the home team. They average just 105.3 points per game at crypto, and have a +0.7 point differential in 18 games.
Pick:
- Heat +5 (-110); 1 unit to win 0.91 units
- NBA Betting Record: 18-15 ATS, 1-1 ML, 2-3 o/u, 0-2 parlays; -3.19 units
Eric Rosales
Sports Writer & Editor
Having worked in and around sports since 1997, Eric is truly a knowledgeable expert. The two-time journalism grad specializes in all things NBA and NFL. From TSN.ca to CTV's Olympic Broadcast Consortium, Eric's work has appeared in local and national publications alike.
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