Twitter: @GGirlSports

The Conference Semifinals are here. The 8th Seed Miami Heat (44-38) will face off against the 5th Seed New York Knicks (47-35). In dramatic fashion, the Heat knocked off the 1st Seed, the Milwaukee Bucks, in large part to Jimmy Butler. The Boston Celtics currently have the least odds to win the NBA Championship by a large margin. These two teams will play tomorrow at 7:30 PM EST, at Madison Square Garden, located in New York, New York. The matchup will air on TNT. If you are looking for the best betting odds and stats, here is information to know:

NBA Championship Odds: Eastern Conference.

Miami Heat: +2800, Previously +25000.

New York Knicks: +3000, Previously +6500.

NBA Conference Semifinals Odds.

Miami Heat vs. New York Knicks (Game 2).

Miami: +235
New York: -280
Spread: Miami +7, New York -7
Over/Under: 207.

Injuries:

Miami Heat

SF Jimmy Butler- Day-to Day (Ankle)
SG Victor Oladipo (OUT)- Left Knee
PG Tyler Herro (OUT)- Hand

New York

PF- Julius Randle- Day-to Day (Ankle)
C- Jericho Sims (OUT)- Right Shoulder.

Playoffs Recap.

Miami Heat

The Miami Heat are one of the hottest and most talked about teams in the NBA right now. Their odds of winning an NBA Championship in the First Round were +25000. The Heat were not only facing the top Seed in the East, the Milwaukee Bucks, they were without players Tyler Herro, and Victor Oladipo, towards the end.

Miami stunned the NBA World when they beat the Bucks, however, they started to turn heads when they took the series 4 games to 1. They took advantage when Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo went down with an injury, which caused him to miss a few games.

Although this Heat team has some questions, there’s no doubt they wouldn’t have advanced without star Jimmy Butler. He’s led this team in scoring, including hitting a shot to send Miami into overtime against the Bucks. Butler is averaging 35.5 Points, 1.8 Steals, and 6.8 Rebounds in the playoffs. In addition, Butler has been an extremely efficient scorer from the Field and from downtown. He's shooting an incredible 58.5 Percent from the Field, and 43 Percent from the Three this postseason. The downside is that Butler rolled his ankle in Game 1 vs. the Knicks and is doubtful for tomorrow.

In the NBA Playoffs, Miami ranks 1st in Points Per Game (121.3), 1st in Three-Point Shooting (42.9), 12th in Free-Throw Percentage (75.8), 11th in Rebounds (42) 5th in Assists (25.3), and 10th in turnovers (13.2). It’s a little ironic since the Heat ranked last in the regular season in Points Per Game. On the defensive side, the Heat rank 10th in Opponent Points Per Game (115.3), 3rd in Steals (8.7), and 13th in Blocks (3.7). Miami moved on to the Conference Semifinals, where they took Game 1 against the New York Knicks, 108-101. Although Butler rolled his ankle, he added 25 Points, and Miami played very nicely as a team.

Strengths

Erik Spoelstra, Jimmy Butler, Three-Point Shooting, High Scoring Ability.

This Heat team has showed why they are elite and can make it far into the Playoffs. For a team that didn’t score many points in the regular season, Miami shot an incredible 45 Percent from the Three, and averaged 124 Points in 5 games against the Milwaukee Bucks. They are scoring at a high level, and are ranked 1st in Points Per Game, and Three Point shooting in the playoffs.

Although doubtful with an ankle injury, Miami has Jimmy Butler, and veteran Head Coach Erik Spoelstra.  He is easily one of the best coaches in the league, who’s led this team to titles, with or without talent. He finds ways to strategize and adapt against the opponent in big games.

If Butler is available to play the rest of the series against the Knicks, the Heat will be in good hands. Jimmy Butler put the team on his back, and had a high of 56 Points in Game 4, and 42 Points in Game 5 against the Bucks.

Weakness

If Jimmy Butler is injured, Herro/Oladipo Injuries/ Free-Throw Percentage.

If the Miami Heat didn’t have injuries against them, I would pick them as the absolute favorites to win this series against the Knicks. According to CBS, Jimmy Butler is getting “round-the-clock treatment” for his ankle injury. If he is unable to suit up, other players can step up, however that will come with its challenges. Although Gabe Vincent and Kyle Lowry, and Max Strus had big games, Butler is the go-to guy that can clutch games and dominate on both sides of the ball.

Although Victor Oladipo dipped in numbers this season, he was a veteran presence for this team. He averaged double digits in points in the Playoffs, and the Heat will be without a player who could be a difference maker. Like Oladipo, former Sixth Man of the Year, Tyler Herro, is out indefinitely with a hand injury. Although he only averaged 12 Points Per Game in the playoffs, Herro can take over games and hit big three-point shots. He is expected to miss 4-6 weeks.

Although the Heat get to the line, with key players out, they will need to hit their free throws. They currently rank 11th in the Free-Throw Percentage, at 75.8.

New York Knicks.

It’s been quite a long time since Knicks fans have seen their team compete, and advance in the playoffs. In fact, this is hungry Knicks team that got their first playoff win since the 2013 series. Not only did they beat the 4th Seed, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Knicks outrebounded them quite a bit, and put their trust in Jalen Brunson to lead this team.

The Knicks advanced to the Eastern Conference Semifinals and are currently down 1-0 against the Miami Heat.
In the Post Season, New York ranks 13th in Points Per Game (99.8), 16th in Three-Point Shooting (26.8), 14th in Free-Throw Percentage (73.5), 6th in Rebounds (45.3), 16th in Assists (25.3), and 8th in turnovers (12.8). On the defensive side, The Knicks rank 2nd in Opponent Points Per Game (96.5), 1st in Steals (9.3), and 7th in Blocks (4.5). Although the Knicks weren’t the top scoring team in the Regular Season or Playoffs, they will need to rely on the Heat’s injuries and play tough defense.

Strengths

Defense, Rebounding, Getting to the Free-Throw Line.

To much surprise, the Knicks have been more of a defensive team in the playoffs. They rank 2nd in Points Per Game and kept the Cavaliers to under 100 averaged Points in the first round of the playoffs. In addition, the Knicks outrebounded the Cavaliers 45.4 to 37.2 in the first round.

Although Julius Randle has an ankle injury, the Knicks were able to outrebound the Cavaliers in the first round, in addition to Game 1 vs. Miami. With Randle out, Mitchell Robinson had a double-double, with 14 rebounds in the last game. Topin, Hart, and RJ Barrett were all able to grab boards as well. If Julius Randle is out for the second game, look for the Knicks to dominate on the board, and put up second chance points, since they’ve been shooting poorly from the three.

Weakness

Scoring, 3-Point Shooting, Lack of Depth, Randle Injury.

Although the Knicks had an impressive series against Cleveland, there are many inconsistencies and red flags. Although the Knicks held the Cavaliers to 94.2 Points Per Game, the Knicks only averaged 99.6 Points Per Game. In addition, the Knicks struggled from both the field and from downtown. Given the game of basketball has changed, the Knicks will not win games shooting 28 Percent from the Three, and only 43 Percent from the field. If the Knicks want to keep up shooting wise, they will need to rely heavily on guard Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle, and even RJ Barrett to step up. The Knicks continued their shooting troubles in Game 1 against the Miami Heat. New York shot 20 percent from the Three, and 60 percent from the Free-Throw Line.

Julius Randle proved how important he is to the Knicks in Game 1 against Miami. Not only did Randle suffer an ankle injury, but he was also unable to suit up for the Game. This is a huge loss for New York in the sense Randle is a player that plays with toughness and tenacity. He is a rim protector that can grab rebounds, fight down low, and can shoot outside. Also, he’s struggled in the last two games, and played limited minutes. The Knicks will need him to advance.

Right now, the lack of depth for this Knicks team is concerning. New York only had 15 Points off the bench in Game 1, in addition to losing Julius Randle. Even with Randle out, Hartenstein and Grimes each played under 15 minutes, and Quickley added 9 Points. Brunson, Hart, and Barrett all played 40 minutes and up. If the Heat speed up their tempo, it’s possible the Knicks starters will be gassed.

Key Stats-Playoffs

•Miami averages 121.3 points per game.

•New York averages 99.8 points per game.

•Miami ranks 10th in points allowed with 115.8 opponents points per game.

•New York ranks 2nd in points allowed with 96.5 opponents points per game.

•Miami ranks 11th in rebounds per game with 42.0.

•New York ranks 6th in rebounds per game with 45.8

•Miami ranks 4th in point differential at +5.5.

•New York ranks 6th in point differential at +2.3.

•Miami ranks 13th in blocked shots with 3.7 per game.

•New York ranks 7th in blocked shots with 4.5 per game.

•Miami averages 42.9 percent from the 3-point range, while New York averages 26.8 from the 3-point range.

LAST 10 GAMES + GAME PREDICTION

SPREAD: Miami +6.5

-Miami covered the spread in 7 of their last 10 games.

-New York covered the spread in 6 of their last 10 games.

-Miami has a 36-51-3 record ATS this season.

-New York has a 48-36-4 record ATS this season.

-New York 20-21-3 in HOME games ATS this season.

-Miami is 18-25-1 in AWAY games ATS this season.

 Jimmy Butler played 43 minutes last game, in which he added 25 points, and 2 Steals. If Butler is unable to Play, it will be a challenge. Lowry had 33 Points in the first round, and has proven he can step up when needed, along with Max Strus. Although it won’t be easy, Miami has some pieces that can put up numbers to compete in this series if Butler cannot suit up. The Heat will also have to rely on Randles injury. 

MONEY LINE: Miami

-Miami won the Money Line 7 out of their last 10 games.

-New York won the Money Line 6 of their last 10 games.

 Let's just say Julius Randle and Jimmy Butler are out with injuries for Game 2. All around, I do not trust the Knicks offense, their shooting troubles, and their limited bench.  Miami has been shooting very well, and there are some other players that can step up. Give me Miami Money Line for Game 2, and Miami in 7.

Prediction: Miami in 7.

OVER/UNDER- UNDER

-Miami Avg +/- vs O/U Line: +0.74

-New York Avg +/- vs O/U Line: +3.12

-Miami Overall O/U Record: 46-44-0

-New York Overall O/U Record: 43-43-2

-Miami hit the OVER 7 times in their last 10 games

-New York hit the UNDER 7 times in their last 10 games

If Julius Randle and Jimmy Butler are out for Game 2, I expect this to hit the Under. New York has struggled to hit 100 points against Cleveland, and last game was low scoring, even WITH Jimmy Butler. Give me the UNDER here. 

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Sara Jane is a full-time content creator, focusing on both college basketball, the NBA, NFL, and writer of Ballislife.com. Don’t forget to follow her on Twitter/Twitch/YouTube: @GGirlSports.