NBA
Miami Heat vs Los Angeles Clippers Preview: Odds, Tips and Prediction
Date: Monday 13th January 2025 Start time: 7:30 pm local time (3:30 am BST) Venue: Intuit Dome, Los Angeles, California Last meeting: February 4, 2024, Los Angeles Clippers 103-95 Miami Heat The Miami Heat continue their road adventure on the West Coast by taking on the Los Angeles Clippers.
James Harden//Getty Images
The Miami Heat continue their road adventure on the west coast by taking on the Los Angeles Clippers in downtown Los Angeles. The Heat and the Clippers are currently in the middle of playoff contention and are fighting hard with the seeds around them in both their respective conferences. The NBA season is quickly approaching the halfway stage, where every team enters their flow. Will the home team, the Los Angeles Clippers, prevail?
SportsBoom has you covered with a detailed preview of both teams' key details. This article shares our value bets for the game and an informative section dedicated to both teams’ key players and head-to-head records against each other.
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Pre-Game Odds and Win Probability
Miami Heat: 5/6 (1.83) – 54%
Los Angeles Clippers: 1/1 (2.00) – 46%
Forecast odds – Betting available on Stake closer to event
Head-to-Head Record
Throughout the entirety of NBA history, this west coast vs south coast matchup between the Los Angeles Clippers and Miami Heat has seen only 71 regular season games played. The head-to-head result favours the Miami Heat, who have won on 39 occasions, whereas the Los Angeles Clippers were victorious only 32 times.
The Clippers' previous meetings, dating back to January 2022, have been very closely contested. The Clippers have won the last two meetings, but the Heat have won the three previous games before this mini-spell. Despite being a close contest in the last five meetings, the Clippers had a six-game winning streak, meaning the organization has a favourable 7-3 record from the previous ten games.
Last Five Matches
| Season | Date | Result |
| 2024/24 Season | February 4, 2024 | Los Angeles Clippers 103-95 Miami Heat |
| 2023/24 Season | January 1, 2024 | Los Angeles Clippers 121-104 Miami Heat |
| 2022/23 Season | January 2, 2023 | Miami Heat 110-100 Los Angeles Clippers |
| 2022/23 Season | December 8, 2022 | Miami Heat 115-110 Los Angeles Clippers |
| 2021/22 Season | January 28, 2022 | Miami Heat 121-114 Los Angeles Clippers |
How is the season so far for both teams?
Miami Heat
- Record: 18-17
- Home Form: 10-7
- Road Form: 8-10
The Miami Heat have been circling 0.500 in recent times. A win against the Golden State Warriors sees them back with a superior winning record. The Florida-based team are in a dogfight between fifth and tenth in the league, as all teams are within four-game proximity and therefore any consistent spell in forms could see a dramatic rise in the Eastern Conference.
Due to Jimmy Butler’s absence on the court through injuries and a recent suspension, Tyler Herro enters his sixth season with the Heat and has elevated his shooting efficiency. He has reached a career-high 23.9 points per game. This surpasses his personal best of 20.8 points from last season, placing him 19th in the league for scoring 23.9 in addition to over five rebounds and assists per game. The point guard has become a key player in Miami’s starting line-up.
Alongside Herro, Bam Adebayo plays a crucial role on the defensive end, producing 9.9 rebounds per game. Incredibly, 7.5 of those came from the opposition's defensive plays. He is rapidly climbing the league ranks in rebounding and looks poised to maintain his solid numbers throughout the rest of the season. The 27-year-old also posts 16.1 points per game, showing his versatility.
Los Angeles Clippers
- Record: 20-16
- Home Form: 12-6
- Road Form: 8-10
The Los Angeles Clippers are in seventh place in the Western Conference. Their current record of 20-16 is the exact same as their closest rivals the Los Angeles Lakers, with both posting 12 wins at home. The Clippers’ road form is below 0.500, but it’s at a similar standard to those within close proximity to the organization in the classification charts.
Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac is posting his most significant numbers with the Californian team. The 27-year-old is averaging double figures in rebounds for the first time in his career and has improved, especially on the defensive side. His average of 12.6 rebounds per game places him fourth overall in the league, and he is a significant threat.
Despite a notable drop-off in his first season with the Clippers, seasoned veteran James Harden is back to producing performances like his stints at Philadelphia and Brooklyn in the previous few years. Although his regression is noticeable at 35, he still turns up and averages 21.6 points and eight assists per game.
Value Bets
Bam Adebayo: Over 15 Points and 8 Rebounds
Historically, across 14 total matches, Bam Adebayo has thrown 18.5 points and rebounded on 9.9 occasions. This stat line is slightly lower than our predicted outcome for Adebayo, but he delivers on every occasion. The Heat will need him, and his last nine games have seen the Miami star produce double-doubles in rebounds and points per game. Can Adebayo complete this feat for a remarkable tenth time on the trot?
James Harden: Over 15 Points and 10 Assists
SportsBoom estimates that James Harden will record at least 15 points and 10 assists. As previously mentioned, there is a notable decline in his shooting efficiency. His career average against the Heat is nearly 24 points per game; however, in his last five games, he has averaged 18.6 points. On a more positive note, the 35-year-old has stepped up in producing assists within the roster. Harden recently made 15 assists against the Atlanta Hawks.
Prediction: Miami Heat to win
SportsBoom predicts the Miami Heat to prevail. Despite dropping the pecking order in the East further, the Heat must find a form to catapult their second half of the season. This would be a big win for the Heat on their west coast trip. Herro and Adebayo are the two most essential figures within the roster, considering both are stat leaders in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. Could the Heat close out a win against the Clippers and get their away record back to .500?
Henry Cheal is a versatile freelance sports journalist with extensive experience in the industry. Henry has previously worked at the 2024 World Snooker Championship and earned a Multimedia Sports Journalism degree from UCFB in 2023.
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