NBA Sunday February 4th Clippers at Heat Betting Preview
Miami Trying to Put Losing Streak In the Rear View
The Sunday February 3rd Clippers at Heat betting matchup is a great litmus test for Miami (26-23) to see if they’ve truly turned a corner. Erik Spoelstra’s club had dropped seven straight games from January 17th to January 29th but have bounced back with consecutive wins over the Kings (115-106) and Wizards (110-102).
Los Angeles (32-15) heads to South Beach on fire as winners of seven of their last eight, which is a big reason the Clips’ are -4 point road favorites on Sunday night. LA is just a game out of the top spot in the Western Conference, and 64% of the betting public is riding the hot streak and giving the points.
Why the Clippers Have Value at -4
Which Miami team is Los Angeles going to see on Sunday night, the one that had lost seven in a row or the one that has posted back-to-back wins? About those wins also – the Heat were favored in both against a Kings team in the midst of a long road trip and a Wizards squad that has now lost 8 of their last 10.
We likely know which version of the Clippers we’ll see in this matchup, the one that has been rolling lately even on a road trip as the Grammy Awards take over Crypto.com Arena. Los Angeles is 4-1 so far on the swing which includes a 115-96 beating of Boston last Saturday even with the Clippers playing on the back-to-back following a win in Toronto.
Like it’s host city, the Clippers are star-studded but each of the marquee names are thriving with reduced pressure on them. James Harden and Kawhi Leonard are both shooting career highs from three point range, Paul George (90.9) doesn’t miss from the free throw line, and Russell Westbrook just became the 25th player in NBA history with 25,000 points.
Why the Heat Have Value at +4
When does fatigue set in for the Clippers who are nearing the back end of a 7-game road trip – could it be after spending Saturday night in South Beach? Yes the 4-1 mark for Los Angeles on their trek so far is impressive, but besides the Boston win they’ve beaten Toronto, Washington, and Detroit who are three of the four worst teams in the East and have also fell to Cleveland by double digits.
Sunday night’s game is a big one for the Heat, who play their next four games at home. Miami currently sits in the 7 seed in the East which would put them in the play-in tournament, but they’re just 1/2 a game back from Indiana for the 6 seed with roughly 25 games to play.
Jimmy Butler has stepped up to help Miami win consecutive games for just the second time since January 1st. Butler had 31 vs the Kings and 24 against the Wizards but he’ll need some help to counter the Clippers’ Big 4.
Free February 4th Clippers at Heat Betting Pick
Does this line seem a bit low for a Clippers team that is 17 games above .500 up against a team that recently had a 7-game losing streak? That could be an indicator that L.A.’s road trip is about to catch up with them, but it’s also hard to bet against a team that has covered in six of their last eight.
Free Pick: Clippers -4
