O’Neal helps boost Heat’s cover plans

While teams such as Phoenix and the Lakers are trying to get used to playing without key injured players Grant Hill and Andrew Bynum, the Miami Heat is expected to welcome back veteran big man Shaquille O’Neal for tonight’s game against Chicago.

For Miami betting supporters, this could be good news because the Heat has lost 10 games in a row and has covered the line only twice since Dec. 10.

O’Neal, sidelined since Dec. 26 because of a hip injury, may be the last line of hope this season for Miami, which is 8-28 overall and 12-23-2 against the spread.

Although O’Neal’s numbers have declined to a career-low in points and minutes played, he still has an impact on games when he is in the lineup. Over Miami’s last 21 games with O’Neal in the lineup, the Heat was still a sub-.500 team with a 7-14 record but covered the spread 10 times.

Normally, playing at home gives Coach Pat Riley’s team an edge. However, that has not been the case lately for the Heat.

Miami, which has been off since it completed a winless five-game trip at New Orleans on Friday, is 6-20 against the spread in its last 26 at American Airlines Arena.

But Chicago may be the right team at the right time for the Heat to end its losing streak. Before playing at Orlando on Tuesday, the Bulls were 1-4 against the spread in their last five games and 2-7 against the spread in the second game of back-to-back sets.

Last NBA add: A betting trend to consider for the Heat is the over/under. Despite a weak overall record, the over is 20-16-1 in games involving Miami, which is 26th in the NBA in field-goal shooting defense (46.2%) and 28th in three-point shooting defense (37.5%).

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Pro football

Here are a few updated NFL odds listed at BetUs.com:

Name the finalists for Super Bowl XLII -- New York Giants vs. New England, 11-4; Giants vs. San Diego, 22-1; Green Bay vs. New England, 2-5; San Diego vs. Green Bay, 15-2.

Odds on those matchups: New York +14 1/2 points vs. New England; ; New York +4 vs. San Diego; Green Bay +8 1/2 vs. New England; San Diego +3 vs. Green Bay.

Odds to win Super Bowl XLII: New England, 4-15; Green Bay, 17-4; San Diego, 9-1; New York, 10-1.

lonnie.white@latimes.com