The Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets will square off in Denver on Thursday to open the 2023 NBA Finals. Denver was the best team in the West this season on the NBA standings and ultimately performed well during the postseason. Their presence in the championship isn’t surprising too many, and the NBA Finals odds are in their favor.
However, this Heat team has consistently displayed resiliency. They won’t back down and will be an interesting potential upset NBA Pick. Despite having a mediocre regular season, the Heat have turned on the jets and will give Denver all they can handle.
Tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 PM EST on Thursday, June 1 at Ball Arena in Denver, CO. Let’s take a look at Denver Nuggets vs Miami Heat prediction, NBA picks, and odds from BetUS NBA and other sportsbooks.
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Miami Heat at Denver Nuggets Facts & Trends
- The Miami Heat are 44-55-3 against the spread this season.
- The Heat are 22-27-1 against the spread when playing on the road.
- Miami is 22-16 against the spread when playing as an underdog.
- They are 15-14 against the spread as an away underdog.
- The Denver Nuggets are 53-43-1 against the spread this year.
- The Nuggets are 30-18-1 against the spread when playing at home.
- Denver is 37-35-1 against the spread when playing as a favorite.
- They are 26-18-1 against the spread as a home favorite.
The Heat are underdogs in this game. Miami hasn’t fared well against the spread overall, but they have held their own as an underdog (something that’s been evident in the playoffs so far). Denver has done an impressive job against the spread overall. They haven’t dominated against the spread as a favorite, but are still performing well for the most part. In the end, the Heat simply don’t care about the odds. They will have a decent chance of upsetting the spread.
Miami Heat at Denver Nuggets Matchup Information
Tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 PM EST in Denver.
The Nuggets are the No. 1 seed in the West, while the Heat are the No. 8 seed in the East. It is clear why the odds favor Denver. Additionally, the Nuggets earned extra rest while waiting for the Heat to win their series in seven games versus the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals.
As a result, the odds heavily favor Denver. Here’s a look at the complete odds for Thursday night.
Miami Heat at Denver Nuggets Odds
Miami Heat at Denver Nuggets Betting Previews
Betting on Miami Heat
The Miami Heat have been forced to earn everything during their playoff run. They had to go through the No. 1 Milwaukee Bucks after reaching the playoffs following the NBA Play-In Tournament. After upsetting the Bucks, Miami then had to get the job done against the New York Knicks. Following yet another upset, they were greeted with a clash versus the talented Boston Celtics.
Miami had momentum and jumped out to a 3-0 series lead before allowing the Celtics to climb back and even the series up at three games apiece. In Game 7 though, the Heat rebounded and earned a convincing victory. All of this has led to Thursday’s game, where the Heat will look to start the NBA Finals on a high note against Denver. Miami’s goal will be to win at least one game on the road in Denver.
Heading back home, tied at one game apiece, would be a positive scenario for the Heat.
Betting on Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets were underdogs in a sense, but not in the way you may imagine.
When the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns acquired Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant ahead of the trade deadline, people began predicting that those NBA teams would make deep Western Conference runs and possibly make the Finals. The Mavs ultimately missed the playoffs altogether. Phoenix was able to reach the playoffs, but the Nuggets proved to be too much to handle.
With Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray leading the way, Denver is a legitimate threat to win the NBA Finals. Purely from a talent standpoint, they are the team to beat.
The question is whether they can rise to the occasion and finish off what has been an otherwise incredible 2022-23 campaign.
Injury Report
Miami Heat
- Tyler Herro (hand) reportedly won’t play in Game 1 for the Heat. The NBA odds of Herro playing in Game 2 are also slim, with the Heat guard reportedly targeting a Game 3 return.
Denver Nuggets
- The Denver Nuggets are healthy and ready to roll.
Top Sportsbooks Odds
- Betonline: Denver Nuggets -9
- Bovada: Denver Nuggets -9
- MyBookie: Denver Nuggets -9
- BetUS: Denver Nuggets -9
- BetNow: Denver Nuggets -9
The Nuggets are favored by a lopsided amount. Covering this spread against Miami will prove to be a challenge, though. If there’s one team that can cover a spread like this at home, it’s Denver. They perform well at Ball Arena, and their extra rest could lead to a big performance.
It’s now time to reveal our Denver Nuggets vs Miami Heat prediction for Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
Miami Heat at Denver Nuggets Picks & Predictions
Which team should you roll with? Who is our Denver Nuggets vs Miami Heat prediction?
Miami’s odds are simply too good to pass on. I’m confident that they can at least cover the 9-point spread, given what they’ve displayed during the NBA playoffs.
The Pick
Go ahead and roll with the Miami Heat +9 with your Game 1 NBA Finals pick.
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