The Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat will wrap up their play in the California Classic on Wednesday night, and Bronny James should be in action after missing Sunday’s game with swelling in his knee.
Both the Lakers and Heat have first-round picks (Los Angeles’ Dalton Knecht and Miami’s Kel’el Ware) that will be fun to watch in this matchup.
Miami beat the Sacramento Kings by 16 on Sunday behind 26 points from Ware while the Lakers mustered just 68 points in a loss to the Golden State Warriors.
Who has the edge in Wednesday’s summer league clash?
Heat vs. Lakers Odds, Spread and Total
Spread
Heat -5 (-110)Lakers +5 (-110)
Moneyline
Heat: -225Lakers: +185
Total
176.5 (Over -110/Under -110)Heat vs. Lakers How to WatchDate: Wednesday, July 10Time: 7:00 p.m. ESTVenue: Chase CenterHow to Watch (TV): ESPN 2Heat record: 1-1Lakers record: 0-2Heat vs. Lakers Key Players to WatchMiami Heat
Kel’el Ware: First-round pick Kel’el Ware went off in Miami’s matchup on Sunday, scoring a team-high 26 points and adding 11 rebounds in a win. Ware should get another shot – on two days rest – to showcase his two-way ability for the Heat in this one.
Los Angeles Lakers
Bronny James: After sitting out Sunday’s game with swelling in his knee, Bronny James should be back in action on Wednesday for his second summer league game. In his debut, James had four points on 2-for-9 shooting, two rebounds, two assists, and one steal in 22 minutes.
Heat vs. Lakers Prediction and Pick
Both of these teams have blowout losses on the resume so far this summer, but I like Miami to win and cover in this matchup after it turned things around against the Kings, scoring 102 points.
The Lakers have put up less than 100 points in both of their games, losing to Sacramento by 14 points before getting crushed by Golden State.
Knecht (6-for-25 from the field) has not shot the ball well so far this summer, and Miami has some proven NBA talent in Cole Swider and Alondes Williams (both on two-ways last season) to help Ware carry the offense load.
While James returning should be a boost to the Lakers’ offense, I’d rather lay the points with Miami after such a great win.