NBA best bets for Friday - Miami Heat too much for LA Clippers?

Friday offers an 11-game slate in the NBA, including an ESPN doubleheader that begins with the Los Angeles Lakers facing the Charlotte Hornets and concludes with the New York Knicks in Milwaukee to play the defending champion Bucks.

ESPN betting analysts André Snellings, Eric Moody, Anita Marks and Joe Fortenbaugh offer up their best bets.

Records Moody 38-38 Snellings 19-24 Marks 13-10-1 Fortenbaugh 1-1 Dolan 1-0 Kezirian 1-0

Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook.

Moody: Hornets games this season have posted an average total of 225.9 points, which is 2.6 fewer than the total for this matchup. Charlotte leads the league with 115 PPG, while Lakers games have surpassed 228.5 points 21 times this season.

Pick: Under 228.5

Snellings: The Lakers are the most difficult team for me to predict this season because their level can swing so drastically from game to game. Player availability is also playing a huge role on a nightly basis, as LeBron James sat out Thursday's game with knee soreness, and Anthony Davis will be in his first back-to-back since returning from a long injury layoff. I expect LeBron to play, but I'm more skeptical about AD and will check his availability closer to game time before making any decisions.

With both LeBron and AD playing, I'd pick the Lakers and the points. If either or both sit, I'd go with the Hornets to cover. At this moment, since I'm expecting to see only one play Friday night, I'll go with the Hornets in this space. But I emphasize: Check the final lineup before tipoff to get max information before making your picks.

Picks: Hornets -7

Marks: Friday night's game will be the tail end of a back-to-back for the Lakers, and they could be without both James and Davis thanks to knee injuries. The