The Denver Nuggets didn’t look too rusty in Game 1 of the NBA Finals as they came off a layoff of more than a week to comfortably secure a 1-0 lead in the series. The Nuggets are at home again on Sunday and it’s no surprise to see Nikola Jokic’s team made heavy favorites to go up 2-0.
Being underdogs is nothing new for the Heat in this season’s NBA Playoffs, of course, and they have responded well whenever they have been written off previously. Let’s get into the odds, betting lines and our expert’s predictions for Game 1 between the Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets.
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Miami Heat vs Denver Nuggets spread, odds & betting lines
Point spread: Heat +8.5, Nuggets -8.5
Total points over/under: 215.5-216 points
Money line odds: Heat +300, Nuggets -365
Miami Heat vs Denver Nuggets expert picks
Heat vs Nuggets point spread pick: Heat +8.5 (-110)
The Miami Heat will look to even up the series as they face the Denver Nuggets back at Ball Arena for Game 2 of the NBA Finals. The Nuggets were dominant in Game 1, defeating the Heat 104-93. Miami struggled from the field, shooting slightly above 40%, but the 3-point shot is what got the Heat in the Finals and if they want to even things up, they will need to hit at a higher clip. Max Strus struggled as he did not make a single field-goal, going 0-10 and 0-9 from three.
The Nuggets are a complete team and it showed in Game 1. Nikola Jokic showed that he may be the best player in the league in his Finals debut with a triple-double, scoring an efficient 27 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds. Jamal Murray also did well as he scored 26 points and dished out 10 assists. I expect the Heat to make adjustments and be better offensively in Game 2, especially Strus as he should bounce back from a miserable Game 1 performance. The Heat showed some fight as the Nuggets did get up by as much as 24 but they got the lead back down to 10. The Heat should be able to cover this number as I’m expecting Game 2 to be more competitive.
Be sure to check out our full Miami Heat vs Denver Nuggets predictions
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Heat vs Nuggets over/under total pick: Over 215.5 points (-115, BetMGM)
For the Heat to hold the Nuggets to 104 points in Game 1 was actually pretty good considering that they had been one of the best offensive teams during the regular season. The Heat do not seem to have an answer for Nikola Jokic, however, as not only can he beat his defender 1-on-1, but he is surrounded by solid players who can hit open shots.
For the Heat to make this a competitive game, they will need to hit their 3-pointers. They also need Bam Adebayo to continue to be aggressive as he had a solid game with a team-high 26 points in Game 1. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see a slight increase in the tempo from both teams so I will look to take the over in this spot.
Check out our NBA Finals Game 2 Same Game Parlay and First Basket Best Bet
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