Twitter: @GGirlSports.
Tonight, is Game 2 of the NBA Finals. The 8th Seed Miami Heat (12-7, 6-5 Away) are looking to bounce back tonight against the 1 Seed Denver Nuggets (13-3, 9-0 Home). Denver has a 1-0 lead over the Heat and stays undefeated at home in the playoffs. These two teams will play tonight at 8:00 PM EST, at Ball Arena, located in Denver, Colorado. In addition, the matchup will air on ABC. If you are looking for the best NBA betting odds and stats, here is information to know:
NBA Championship Odds:
Miami Heat: -700
Denver Nuggets: +500
Game 2: Miami Heat @ Denver Nuggets (1-0).
Miami: +300 ML
Denver: -365
Over/Under: 216.
Spread: Miami +8.5, Denver -8.5
Injuries:
Miami Heat
C Cody Zeller (Questionable): Sprained right foot.
PG Tyler Herro (OUT): Hand.
SF Caleb Martin (Questionable): Illness.
SG Victor Oladipo (OUT): Knee.
Denver Nuggets
PG Collin Gillespie (OUT): Leg.
Key Stats-Playoffs:
•Miami averages 110.7 points per game.
•Denver averages 115.6 points per game.
•Miami ranks 6th in points allowed with 107.3 opponent points per game.
•Denver ranks 5th in points allowed with 107.1 opponent points per game.
•Miami ranks 11th in rebounds per game with 41.1
•Denver ranks 7th in rebounds per game with 44.3.
•Miami ranks 2nd in point differential at +3.4
•Denver ranks 1st in point differential at +8.5.
•Miami ranks 16th in blocked shots with 3.4 per game.
•Denver ranks 12th in blocked shots with 3.9 per game.
•Miami averages 38.7 percent from the 3-point range, while Denver averages 38.2 from the 3-point range.
LAST 10 GAMES + GAME PREDICTION:
SPREAD: Miami + 8.5
-Miami covered the spread in 5 of their last 10 games.
-Denver covered the spread in 6 of their last 10 games.
–Miami has a 44-56-3 record ATS this season.
-Denver has a 54-43-1 record ATS this season.
–Denver is 31-18-1 in HOME games ATS this season.
-Miami is 22-28-1 in AWAY games ATS this season.
–Denver is 6-4-0 in their last 10 games ATS in the playoffs.
-Miami is 5-5-0 in their last 10 games ATS in the playoffs.
Miami shot under 35 Percent from the three, and only 41 percent from the field in Game 1. Their star player Jimmy Butler had an off-shooting night and was held to 14 points. In addition, guard Max Strus and Caleb Martin struggled to find their shots. With that said, Miami woke up in the fourth quarter, and cut the deficit to 11 points at the end of regulation.
I expect Head Coach Erik Spoelstra to have a better plan for Miami in Game 2, especially with Jimmy Butler. 8.5 is a large spread, and even though Miami has a sub .500 record against the spread on the road, I think they keep it close. In addition, Miami covered the spread 5 out of the 7 games against the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals. I like Miami +8.5 here.
MONEY LINE: Nuggets ML.
-Miami won the Money Line 5 out of their last 10 games (5-5).
-Denver won the Money Line 8 of their last 10 games (8-2).
-Miami’s Money Line record in AWAY games is 22-29-0.
-Denver’s Money Line record in HOME games is 43-7-0.
Right now, the Nuggets money line isn’t favored towards NBA bettors, and the line is high at -365. Caleb Martin could be an x-factor in Game 2 for the Heat, and he is questionable due to an illness. I like the Miami Heat +8.5, however, I do not like Miami money line at Denver's home court. Not only is Denver favored by -8.5, but they are also undefeated at home in the playoffs. Also, the Nuggets only have 7 losses as a home team when it comes to the Money Line. I don’t see anyone stopping Jokic after his historic performance in Game 1. Right now, the Nuggets have the size advantage, tempo, and physicality over Miami. Maybe this will change for Game 3, however, I like Nuggets Money Line here.
OVER/UNDER: OVER.
-Miami Avg +/- vs O/U Line: +0.41
-Denver Avg +/- vs O/U Line: -1.61
-Miami Overall O/U Record: 52-51-0
–Denver Overall O/U Record: 46-51-1
-Miami Overall AWAY O/U Record: 25-25-0
–Denver Overall HOME O/U Record: 21-28-1
-Miami hit the UNDER 6 times in their last 10 games.
-Denver hit the UNDER 6 times in their last 10 games.
Both teams have hit the under 6 out of their last 10 games. Even further, Miami hit the UNDER in 5 straight games, and the Nuggets in 2 back-to-back games. Although Game 1 of the NBA Finals was a relatively low scoring affair, the UNDER hit at 219. Given the line is 216 for Game 2, I expect better offense on both sides, especially the way Denver shot from the Perimeter. I think Jimmy Butler comes alive this game, and the Heat give them everything they’ve got. I like the OVER here.
For More Betting Info & Game Predictions, Follow us at @BallislifeBets.
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/YouTube/Twitch/Instagram: @GGirlSports.
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