Los Angeles Lakers (21-3) vs. Miami Heat (12-12) NBA Picks: Tonight, the Los Angeles Lakers begin a 4-games in 5 nights east coast swing, which begins in Miami, Florida against the struggling Heat. Tip-off for this contest has been scheduled for 8 PM ET (5 PM PT) on KCALHD and/or DirectTV’s NBA League Pass.
Odds-makers at SportsBook.com have posted the following Sports Odds for this NBA Picks matchup, favoring the road team Los Angeles Lakers [-7½] being the victors against the hosting Miami Heat [+7½]. 
Tonight, the Lakers are looking for their 5th straight victory and their 15th in 17 games, as they go up against a .500-Heat team, that has lost three in a row.
Despite having two of their frontline players ill, the Lakers found a way to defeat the New York Knicks, 116-114, Tuesday night in LA. The OVER/UNDER for this, Los Angeles Lakers vs. Miami Heat NBA Picks, has been totaled at a combined 205½ points.
Even with an upper respiratory infection, Lamar Odom (8.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 2.3 apg) got his first start of the season when Pau Gasol (18.0 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 3.5 apg) was sent home with strep throat. Odom went on to be a key contributor in the win, as he pitched in with season-highs in points (17) and rebounds (12). “Pau was out and I kind of willed myself to do it. Football mentality,” Odom said. Gasol, who didn't practice Wednesday, has been listed as questionable for tonight’s contest.
For the reigning MVP, Kobe Bryant (25.0 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 4.3 apg), he had a nice bounce back performance against the Knicks. After shooting 39.7% in his last 6 games, Bryant broke out scoring 28 points (on 12-of-22 from the field), including 9 in the final 7:33. “We remembered all the battles we've been through. We didn't panic,” said Bryant, who had 33 points and five assists in the win at Miami last season. “Just to be able to stay calm and push our way through, it was a good game for us to have.”
For the Miami Heat, they lost their third straight Monday night to the Milwaukee Bucks, 98-83. In that game, Dwyane Wade (28.0 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 7.2 apg) missed 11 of his 16 shots, as he finished with 15 points. Wade leads the league in scoring with 28 points per game. However, he only averaged 18.5 ppg in two losses to the Lakers last season. Los Angeles has won four of the last five meetings in the series. “We can't put it all on Dwyane,” said forward Udonis Haslem. “Someone's got to pick their game up somewhere.”
