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The 2020 NBA Finals continue Friday, October 2, with Game 2 between the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers. This could turn out to be the key clash of this series, and you don’t want to miss it, so we’ve prepared all need-to-know tips and notes along with the best Heat versus Lakers betting pick.  

The Lakers took the lead Wednesday, easily outlasting the Heat 116-98. Miami struggled with injuries and could be in big trouble Friday night, so let’s take a closer look.   

The Line

The bookies listed the Lakers as firm 9.5-point favorites in Game 2, and LA is a -490 moneyline fave on <a href="http://bangthebook.com/sportsbooks/betdsi/">BetDSI</a>. The Heat are +395 underdogs to win straight up, while the totals are set at 216.5 points on <a href="http://bangthebook.com/sportsbooks/betonline/">BetOnline</a>.  

Injuries/Suspensions

Miami will miss Goran Dragic (foot), and the 34-year-old guard is doubtful to return to the floor this postseason after suffering his injury in Game 1 against the Lakers. Bam Adebayo (shoulder, neck) couldn’t finish the opener, too, and he’s doubtful to play Friday night. 

The Lakers, on the other side, are coming in full strength. 

What's at Stake?

The Heat cannot afford another loss, as just four teams in NBA history won the title after trailing 2-0 in the Finals. The 2006 Miami Heat did exactly that, but this Miami team is facing a much tougher rival, and the injury woes could make it really, really tough for Erik Spoelstra’s boys.  

The Spot

The Lakers have a nice chance to put huge pressure on their opponents. They are a very experienced bunch led by LeBron James, while the Heat have three rookies in their rotation.  

The Matchup

The Heat started Game 1 well and built a 23-10 lead. However, that was all we saw from Miami, as the Lakers took over and hit nine treys in the last 16 minutes of the first half to grab a 65-48 lead at halftime. 

The Lakers never looked back and led by as many as 32 points. LeBron James dictated the tempo and finished the game with 25 points, 13 rebounds, and nine assists. He turned the ball over just a couple of times, torturing Miami’s defense all the way. 

Anthony Davis marked his NBA Finals debut with 34 points, nine boards, and five dimes, while the Lakers limited their opponents on just 42.7% shooting from the field and 31.4% from beyond the arc. 

As I’ve mentioned, the Heat lean on some rookies, and Duncan Robinson was scoreless in his NBA Finals debut, missing all his three shots. On the other hand, Kendrick Nunn and Tyler Herro both played well off the bench, combining for 32 points, nine boards, and five assists. 

Still, some older guys with much more playoff experience were terrible Wednesday. Andre Iguodala and Jae Crowder combined a -45 net rating, and they spent 25 minutes on the floor each. 

Bam Adebayo had eight points and four boards before leaving the game in the third quarter. His eventual absence would be a huge blow for Miami in Game 2, as the Lakers posted 18 rebounds more than the Heat in the opener. 

The Bets

The Lakers are undefeated in five straight meetings with the Heat, going 3-2 against the spread in the process. Considering Miami’s injury problems, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Lakers sweep the series. 

However, that doesn’t mean the Heat won’t put on a fight and make Game 2 interesting to watch. This 9.5-point spread is a tricky one, and I don’t feel comfortable with it at all. If you want to tease one of the teams or buy a few points and take the Lakers at -6.5 or the Heat at +12.5, that’s a reasonable choice. 

And if you love to follow the betting trends, the under has hit in five of the last six encounters between the Heat and Lakers including Wednesday’s Game 1. Betting on the under at the 219.5-point line is another interesting move. The Heat have to execute well offensively, but they desperately need to slow down the Lakers.

Miami Heat vs. Los Angeles Lakers – Pick, Odds & Prediction Game 2 10/2/20

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Don't miss out on the NHL showdown between the Canucks and Ducks. The game is starting at 10:00 ET on ESPN+, and it's hosted by the Ducks at Honda Center in Anaheim, CA. Get ready to place your bets! In this division matchup, the Canucks are favored by -1.5 against the Ducks. The over/under for the game is 6 goals.<h3>VANCOUVER CANUCKS VS ANAHEIM DUCKS BETTING PICK</h3>The Pick: Anaheim Ducks +1.5This game will be played at Honda Center at 10:00 ET on Tuesday, November 5th.<h3>WHY BET THE ANAHEIM DUCKS:</h3><ul><li>Even though they are 1.5 goal underdogs, we see the Ducks winning this game by a score of 4-2.</li><li>We like the Ducks on the moneyline (+177)</li><li>The Ducks are also our pick on the spread at +1.5</li></ul><h3>Can the Canucks Lock in a Road Win?</h3>Vancouver improved to 5-2-3 with a 3-2 win over the Sharks. The Canucks were favored on the puck line, but didn’t cover. The total was set at 6.5 goals, and the 5 combined goals fell short of that mark. 

The Sharks scored first in the second period, but Vancouver tied it up with 5:19 left in the period. The Canucks took the lead in the third, only for San Jose to tie it again with 1:17 remaining. Pius Suter scored the game-winner for Vancouver with just 26 seconds left.Pius Suter led the way for the Canucks with two goals, bringing his season total to four. He scored for the first time at 5:19 in the second period and then netted the game-winner with just 26 seconds left. Jake DeBrusk added his first goal of the season at 4:22 in the third period. Vancouver took 27 shots on goal but also had 25 giveaways. The Canucks were held scoreless in the first period, with their first goal coming at 14:41 in the second.Vancouver’s defense gave up the first goal just 2:37 into the second period and another at 18:43 in the third, but they held on for a 3-2 win. Kevin Lankinen made 21 saves with a 91.3% save percentage, while the Canucks' defense recorded 5 takeaways and 24 hits.<h3>Can Anaheim Deliver Being Underdogs at Home?</h3>With a 4-2 loss to the Blackhawks, the Ducks dropped to 4-5-2 this season. Anaheim was favored on the puck line, but failed to cover. The total was set at 6.5 goals, and the combined 6 goals fell just short.

Anaheim's defense struggled early, giving up two goals in the first period. They didn’t score until the third period, when they were already down 3-0. Brock McGinn got the Ducks on the board at 10:16 in the third, and Mason McTavish added another at 19:56.Anaheim's offense was held scoreless until the third period in their 4-2 loss to Chicago. Brock McGinn netted his second goal of the season, while Mason McTavish followed with his second, coming on a power play with just four seconds left in the game. The Ducks fired 39 shots on goal but were plagued by 16 giveaways. Ryan Strome picked up his fourth assist of the season, and Troy Terry added his fifth assist on McTavish’s late power-play goal.The Ducks' defense struggled early, giving up the first three goals, including two on the power play. Lukas Dostal made 25 saves with an 86.2% save percentage. Anaheim's defense finished with 6 takeaways and 15 hits.

Vancouver Canucks vs Anaheim Ducks Betting Pick & Prediction 11/5/24

The Flyers and Kraken are set to face off at 10:00 ET on NBCS. The Kraken will host the game at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, WA. The odds for this non-conference game currently have the Kraken as the betting favorite with the over/under line sitting at 6 goals.<h3>PHILADELPHIA FLYERS VS SEATTLE KRAKEN BETTING PICK</h3>The Pick: Seattle Kraken -1.5This game will be played at Climate Pledge Arena at 10:00 ET on Friday, December 29th.<h3>WHY BET THE SEATTLE KRAKEN:</h3><ul><li>With a 1.5-goal advantage on the spread, our projections favor the Kraken to secure a 4-3 victory.</li><li>Take the Kraken on the moneyline</li><li>On the spread, we like Flyers (+1.5)</li></ul><h3>Is A Road Victory Likely for Underdog Philadelphia?</h3>For the season, the Flyers currently hold an overall record of 19-11-4. On the road, Philadelphia has gone 11-4-3 and they are 8-7-1 at home. Their current record places them 2nd in the Eastern Metropolitan division and 4th in the Eastern conference.When it came to the puck line, Philadelphia heads in with a 24-10 record. On the road, their mark is 16-2 and their overall home performance is 8-8 vs. the puck line. The average goal total for Philadelphia's games is sitting at 5.8. The average over/under line for the season is 6.2. The Flyers come in with an over/under record of 13-20-1.Across their last three road contests, Philadelphia has been good against the puck line posting a mark of 3-0. Their overall mark in these games was 2-1, while averaging 4 goals per game.Offensively, the Flyers come into the game at 3 goals per contest placing 23rd in the NHL. In terms of shots on goal per game, they are in 5th position in the league. The Flyers went 11-6 in games where they had more shots than their opponents. However, in games with fewer shots on goal, their record was 6-5.Philadelphia's leading goal scorer is Travis Konecny. So far this season, he has 16 goals, placing him 21st in the NHL. Konecny also comes into the game with 12 assists.Defensively, the Kraken are currently 15th in goals allowed. On average, opponents are taking 29.2 shots per game against Seattle. They also are 21st in shutouts, coming in with 1 shutouts.Heading into this matchup vs. Seattle, goalie Carter Hart has started 18 games in this season. His current record is 9-6, and his save percentage stands at 0.7373737373737373%.<h3>Will the Kraken Win at Home?</h3>As they head into their game vs. the Flyers, the Kraken have a 13-14-9 record thus far. While playing at home, their record stands at 6-8-3, and they have 7-6-6 mark on the road. They are currently positioned 4th in the Western Pacific division and 11th in the Western conference.In terms of the puck line, Seattle posted a 20-16 record. On the road they are 12-7 against the puck line, while their overall home performance is 8-9. Games involving Seattle have an average of 5.8 goals per game this season. Their average over/under line is 6.2. In terms of their over/under performance, the Kraken come in with a record of 16-17-3.In their last three home games, Seattle has averaged 2 goals per game while allowing 1. The team's record in this stretch was 3-0 while going 2-1 vs. the spread.In terms of their offensive performance, the Kraken are averaging 2.7 goals per game this season, putting them in the 27th spot in the NHL. When it comes to shots on goal per game, they are ranked 13th in the league. This year, the Kraken have recorded a 6-6 record in games where they outshoot their opponent. For games with fewer shots on goal, they have 6-8 record.Seattle's current leading scorer is Jared McCann. This season, he has 14 goals, which puts him 42nd in the NHL. In addition to his goal scoring, McCann has 8 assists this season.Seattle defense takes on the Flyers ranked 15th in goals allowed. On average, opponents are averaging 29.2 shots per game against Seattle. They alsso are 21st in shutouts, with 1 shutouts.Goalie Joey Daccord gets the start and has made 18 starts this season. His record at this point is 7-5, and his save percentage is 0.797979797979798%.

Philadelphia Flyers vs Seattle Kraken Betting Pick & Prediction 12/29/23

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