Heat vs Lakers Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for California Classic Summer League (Expect Fireworks in Sactown)

The 2023 NBA Summer League begins on Monday, July 3 with a California Classic matchup between the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers.

Heat vs Lakers Game Info

• Date: Monday, July 3, 2023
• Time: 6 p.m. ET
• Venue: Golden 1 Center -- Sacramento, California
• Coverage: ESPN2

Players on both sides of the court hope to make an impact tonight. The Heat's roster is headlined by first-round picks Jaime Jaquez Jr. (No. 18 in 2023) and Nikola Jovic (No. 27 in 2022). Meanwhile, the Lakers have a nice mixture of experienced talent (Max Christie, Scotty Pippen Jr.) and fresh faces (Jalen Hood-Schifino, Maxwell Lewis).

Heat vs Lakers Odds & Spread

• All NBA betting lines, odds, and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
• Moneyline: MIA: (+118) | LAL: (-144)
• Spread: MIA: +2.5 (-110) | LAL: -2.5 (-110)
• Total: 163.5 -- Over: (-110) | Under: (-110)

The Lakers enter this contest as clear home favorites on the moneyline and spread per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This 6 p.m. ET clash also features an over/under of 163.5 points with both sides being available at -110 odds.

Heat vs Lakers Prediction & Pick

While the Heat are rostering a few solid names like Jaquez and Jovic, along with a few G-Leaguers, their team is largely made up of undrafted free agents. The Lakers not only have some talented fresh faces like Hood-Schifino and Lewis, but they also have the trio of Christie, Pippen, and Cole Swider, who combined for 54 NBA games last season.

At the end of the day, it's easier to side with the Lakers in this matchup. There are just too many question marks with the Heat — especially with over half of their roster being undrafted college players. If Jaquez and Jovic can't get things going early on, it could be a frustrating night for Miami.

Final Score Prediction: Lakers: 85 | Heat: 79

Heat vs Lakers Best Bet

I recommend backing the Over on the 163.5-point total as the best bet here. Although the talent comparison leans in the Lakers' favor, there's enough skill on both sides to put up decent offensive numbers. As long as Miami and Los Angeles' top prospects show up with the intent to impress, I can easily see more than 163.5 points being scored in Sacramento.

Bet: Over 163.5 Total Points (-110)

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.