NBA Finals 2020: Heat vs. Lakers Game 1 Vegas Odds, Prop Bets and Predictions

The Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat were not expected to meet in the NBA Finals when they entered the Orlando bubble. 

Throughout their time at ESPN's Wide World of Sports, the Lakers and Heat have established themselves as the dominant teams in each conference and more-than-worthy NBA Finals participants. 

LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Co. come into the championship series with the favorite tag assigned to them. 

Jimmy Butler and the Heat carry the best value on the betting lines, but it may be hard to justify Miami winning outright, at least in Game 1. 

If you lean toward the Lakers winning the Wednesday opener, player prop bets may give you the best opportunity to win wagers of a significant amount.

NBA Finals Game 1 Odds

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.

Miami (+5; +172; bet $100 to win $172)

Los Angeles Lakers (-5; -205; bet $205 to win $100)

Over/Under: 217.5

Prop Bet Predictions

LeBron James Over 28.5 Points (-104)

James has a knack for producing high point totals in the opening game of the NBA Finals. 

In his last title series appearance with Cleveland in 2018, James put up 51 points on the Golden State Warriors. In his previous four Game 1s in the NBA Finals, James averaged 36.5 points per game. 

James has not been as effective in the opening games of his first three postseason series as a Lakers player, but part of that has to do with the presence of Anthony Davis. 

James totaled 58 points against Portland, Houston and Denver, but he did improve as each series went on. 

The difference-maker in the James points prop bet could be his ability to get to the free-throw line. 

In his six 30-point performances in the playoffs, James is averaging 8.2 trips to the charity stripe. He attempted 20 foul shots in the last two contests of the Western Conference Finals. 

If he continues to force contact on shooting opportunities, James could pad his scoring total with no time coming off the clock.

Jae Crowder Over 2.5 3-Pointers (-122)

Most of the three-point attention paid to Miami's lineup has been on Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro, but Jae Crowder is worth considering on the player prop line because of his high volume of shots from downtown. 

Crowder made 12 of his 47 three-point attempts in the Eastern Conference Finals and drained multiple shots from downtown in each of the first three games against Boston. 

In five games against Denver, the Lakers conceded a 33.6 three-point percentage off a total of 137 attempts. 

If the Lakers hone in on Robinson and Herro to start Game 1, Crowder could receive some open looks and help the Heat gain some shooting confidence. 

In his three Game 1s in the bubble, Crowder knocked down 10 of his 21 three-point shots, so it seems like the over for his made three-point shots is more than attainable.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from Basketball Reference.