NBA: Heat and Lakers Can Enter Break on a High Note

The Miami Heat head north to take on the Raptors while the Lakers look to end their seven game road trip on a winning note as the NBA edges closer to the All-Star break.

Hapless Cavs have no hope
Yesterday I wrote about how the Lakers need to reach the All-Star break as soon as possible. Nothing has changed in the last 24 hours but I still expect them to handle the Cavaliers with ease tonight. Kobe and company have their problems, issues that they will find a way to work through. The concerns facing Phil Jackson’s team don’t even begin to compare to what the Cavs have to deal with.

Cleveland’s record-breaking run of awfulness ended in overtime on Friday night but they may just be starting another lengthy losing streak. The Wizards earned their first road win of the season at Cleveland on Friday night. It’s not exactly a stretch to say that the Lakers present a tougher test. This is a match-up of arguably the worst line-up ever assembled against a team going for a three-peat of titles. This isn’t a contest, it’s televised slaughter. I don’t expect a repeat of the 112-57 humiliation the Cavs suffered in the Staples Center but the Lakers should easily cover as -11.5 favorites with Sports Interaction.

Bosh and Heat can deliver
Chris Bosh is returning to the town Jason Whitlock likes to call White Vegas. The former Raptor faces his former team tonight in his first game in Toronto since leaving for Miami. Bosh is unlikely to face quite as hostile a reception as the one LeBron James got on his first game back in Cleveland. The game will however likely have the same result.

The Heatles were electrifying at times against Indiana last night. The crowning moment was a 92-foot alley-oop from Dwayne Wade to LeBron James. I expect Bosh to try and create some fireworks of his own tonight, with the big three dominating again. With just 2 wins in their last 18 games, the Raptors haven’t been much of a match for anybody lately. I like Andrea Bargnani to have some success tonight but otherwise this game will be all about the Heat. I like Bosh to make amends for his sub-par showings in previous outings against the Raptors and put in big performance on the road. Bet on Miami as -9.5 favorites with Sports Interaction.