Chris Paul Picks LeBron James, Lakers to Beat Heat in 2020 NBA Finals

Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Chris Paul picked LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers to defeat the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals, which begin on Wednesday. 

Paul made his prediction on Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson's podcast DangerTalk:

"The Lakers," Paul said when asked to provide his prediction (1:04:30 mark). "My brother LeBron over there...never, never go against him."

The Lakers are heavy -360 favorites (bet $360 to win $100) to win the NBA Finals, per FanDuel Sportsbook. The Miami Heat are +275 underdogs.

The most likely series outcome based on odds is Los Angeles in five games (+290).

The odds are heavily stacked in the Lakers' favor, but Wilson went against the grain and took the Heat in "six or seven games." He then followed up and said that he thought LeBron would win the NBA Finals and that he chose Miami "to make it interesting" since Paul picked L.A.

Paul then said that he was hoping for a "hell of a series" because he loves watching the Heat.

Game 1 will tip off on Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET. The entire series will take place at ESPN's Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando, Florida.