Miami Heat vs. Los Angeles Clippers: Matchup Breakdown and Bold Predictions

The Miami Heat continue their west coast swing Wednesday night when they head into the Staples Center to face the Los Angeles Clippers.

It's the "Big Three" against "Lob City" in the late night ESPN game.

Both teams are coming off losses on Tuesday, so this is a big game for both.

This promises to be exciting from the opening tip.

Here's a preview and prediction for tonight's big matchup.

Point Guard

Mario Chalmers, 11.5 points per game, 2.8 rebounds per game, 4.4 assists per game

 vs.

Chris Paul, 14.6 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 8.4 APG

Both teams saw three-game winning streaks come to an end last night.

For the Clippers, Paul was in foul trouble throughout and didn't play much of a role.

That won't be the case tonight as this is a big test for the Clippers. Paul will need to be at his best and I expect a big night.

Edge: Clippers

Shooting Guard

Dwyane Wade, 21.0 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 5.9 APG

vs.

Chauncey Billups 16.6 PPG, 1.6 RPG, 3.2 APG

Wade returned to the lineup last night against Golden State with a 34-point effort and looked good.

Billups, on the other hand, had a rough night against Portland. He will have to have a good night for the Clippers to win.

Give the edge, though, to Wade all the way around, especially on the defensive end.

Edge: Heat

Small Forward

LeBron James 29.7 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 7.6 APG

vs.

Caron Butler 15.6 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 2.0 APG

Huge edge here for the Heat, although a big performance by Butler could be big for a Clippers win.

James has averaged 23.1 PPG against the Clippers throughout his career, his lowest total against any team in the NBA.

He had a solid statistical game, but disappeared in the fourth quarter and overtime last night.

I wouldn't expect that on back-to-back nights.

Edge: Heat

Power Forward

Chris Bosh 19.7 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 1.8 APG

vs.

Blake Griffin 23.7 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 2.3 APG

This could be a pivotal matchup tonight.

Everyone wants to see Griffin on the receiving end of some highlight-reel lobs, but he will have his hands full with Chris Bosh.

He's coming off a game in which he scored only four second-half points against the Blazers, so I'd expect a very good Griffin.

For Bosh, it would be big to use his jumper at times to pull Griffin away from the basket, but he also needs to attack him and try and get him in foul trouble.

This is a good matchup on the block, but I'm giving Griffin the edge individually.

Edge: Clippers

Center

Joel Anthony 3.3 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 0.1 APG

vs.

DeAndre Jordan 7.0 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 0.1 APG

Controlling the paint could be big and if that's the case, I'd give a big edge to Jordan, who's averaging three blocks per game.

The Clippers could also look to get Jordan involved in the offense more, but if it's a close game, can they afford to have him on the floor?

Jordan is only shooting 48 percent from the free-throw line this season and that could come back to bite the Clippers.

Overall, though, I like the youngster.

Edge: Clippers

Bench

The Clippers have the edge when it comes to the backcourt, as they're able to bring veterans Mo Williams and Randy Foye off the bench.

Give the Heat a big edge when it comes to the frontcourt reserves. Udonis Haslem could play a big role in this game and don't rule out Shane Battier making an impact on the defensive end.

Edge: Heat

Prediction

There's no excuse whatsoever for James to take only one fourth-quarter shot like he did last night. He simply can't go six or seven minute stretches without being a major part of the Miami offense.

This is a chance for the Clippers to measure up where they stand against the NBA's best teams, but unfortunately just like they did last night, they will come up short.

The Heat won't blow a 17-point lead tonight.

Prediction: Miami 106, Los Angeles 101

MVP

Player of the Game: LeBron James, 32 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.