The best NBA betting sites favor Denver by eight points when the Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets play on Thursday in Game 1 of the NBA Finals from the Ball Arena. The Denver Nuggets will have a home-court advantage in the NBA Finals. They will be taking on the No. 8 seed Miami Heat in their quest to win their first championship.
The Heat survived a heart-stopping 7-game series against the Boston Celtics to secure their return to the NBA Finals. Miami’s lethal 3-point shooting appeared when it was needed most as they earned an unforgettable road win against the team that eliminated them in the Conference Finals just a year prior.
Erik Spoelstra’s team last reached this stage in the NBA Bubble season in 2020. They lost to the LA Lakers in that series. The Denver Nuggets had a more direct road. They swept the LA Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. They enjoyed some well-deserved time off en route to the Finals.
The team has not had to exert as much energy to make it to this point, but the teams that they have beaten are a lot more impressive than Miami’s foes. The Nuggets are sitting at -360 to win the series at the best online sportsbooks. The Heat are +270. The -1.5 game handicap is -155 favoring Denver.
2023 NBA Finals Miami Heat vs. Denver Nuggets Betting Info
| Date: | Thursday, June 1, 2023. |
| Time: | 8:30 P.M. ET. |
| Location: | Ball Arena, Denver, CO. |
| TV Coverage: | ABC |
Heat vs. Nuggets Game 1 Odds
| Team | SP/RL | TOTAL | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heat | +8½ (-110) | 219 (-110) | +300 |  |
| Nuggets | -8½ (-110) | 219 (-110) | -380 | |
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Betting Miami Heat
The Miami Heat have averaged 111.7 points per game on 47.2% shooting. They have been allowing 107.4 points per game on 45.7% shooting. Jimmy Butler has been averaging 28.5 points and seven rebounds per game.
Bam Adebayo has been averaging 16.8 points and 9.2 boards per game. Caleb Martin is the third double-digit scorer. Gabe Vincent has been grabbing 1.7 rebounds per game. The Miami Heat have been shooting 39% from the three-point line and 80.4% from the free-throw line.
The Miami Heat have been allowing 32.5% shooting from the three-point line. They have been grabbing 41 rebounds per game. Caleb Martin, Duncan Robinson, and Gabe Vincent each shot higher than 40% from the three in the Eastern Conference Finals.
According to the best betting sites, Miami has gone 12-4 ATS in their past 16 games. The total has gone UNDER in four of Miami’s last five games. Miami has gone 11-5 SU in their past 16 games. Miami has gone 0-6 ATS in their last six games playing against Denver.
Miami has gone 0-6 SU in their last six games playing against Denver. The total has gone OVER in ten of Miami’s past 13 games playing on the road. Miami has gone 1-6 SU in their last seven games when they are playing on the road against Denver. Miami has gone 5-1 SU in their last six games playing against an opponent in the Western Conference.
The total has gone OVER in six of Miami’s last six games playing against an opponent in the Northwest Division. Miami has gone 1-4 ATS in the last five games that they have played in June.
Betting Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets have averaged 116.4 points per game on 49% shooting. They have been allowing 108.1 points per game on 47.2% shooting. Nikola Jokic has been averaging 29.9 points and 13.3 rebounds per game.
Jamal Murray has been averaging 27.7 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. Michael Porter Jr. is the third double-digit scorer. Aaron Gordon hs been grabbing 5.5 boards per game. The Denver Nuggets have been shooting 38.6% from the three-point line and 81.5% from the free-throw line. The Denver Nuggets have been allowing 34.2% shooting from the three-point line. They have been grabbing 44.2 rebounds per game.
2023 NBA Finals Heat vs. Nuggets Prediction
The Denver Nuggets are obviously favored. They have had some rest and they will be playing at home. Also, they have been winning by a victory margin of 10.1 points at home. They have gone 31-18 ATS at home.
On the other hand, the Miami Heat are a moneymaking machine in this particular spot. The Heat has gone 12-4 ATS and 10-6 SU in their past 16 games when they are playing as a playoff underdog at the best betting sites. Moreover, in a trend that dates all the way back to the bubble, the Heat has gone 7-2 SU as a playoff underdog of eight or more points. We will continue to take the points with the Heat as long as these trends keep holding up. Take the free buckets.
