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Jimmy Butler's Miami Heat defeated Boston Celtics in the final game of the Eastern Conference Finals on Monday night to qualify for the 2023 NBA Finals, where they will face the Western Conference champions Nikola Jokic-led Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets will host the Heat for Game 1 in the Finals on Thursday night at the Ball Arena as both Butler and Jokic stand a chance to win their first NBA championship.
In their last five NBA fixtures, the Nuggets haven't lost a game while the Heat have won two matches. While Denver defeated Lebron James's Los Angeles Lakers 4-0 to become the Western Champions, Miami outplayed Boston Celtics 4-3 to clinch the Eastern Conference title. The Nuggets have lost seven of their 49 home games while the Heat have won 23 of their 51 road games in the NBA 2022-23.
Denver Nuggets vs Miami Heat: Match Prediction
Head-To-Head:
- Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat have played two games in the regular season and the Nuggets won both matches.
- The Nuggets are currently on a six-game winning streak against the Heat.
- This is the first time when Denver and Miami are facing each other in the playoffs.
Top Players:
- The Nuggets include Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Michael Porter Jr, and Bruce Brown Jr. as their star players.
- The Heat include Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Caleb Martin, Kyle Lowry, and Gabe Vincent as their star players.
Average Quarter score: (Nuggets 115-106 Heat)
- 1st quarter: 28-26
- 2nd quarter: 27-25
- 3rd quarter: 31-27
- 4th quarter: 29-28
Heat at Nuggets: Betting Odds
Against The Spread (ATS): 3.5 points (Nuggets -8.5)
Over/Under (OU): 219.5 (Over)
Prediction: Nuggets 115-106 Heat
Money Line:
- The Nuggets have -400 odds to pick up the win, while the Heat are listed at +310 to claim victory.
- This season, the Nuggets lost 21 of the 75 games they were named the favorites while the Heat won 14 of the 46 games they played as the underdogs.
- This season, the Nuggets won 11 of the 22 games they were named the underdogs while the Heat lost 23 of the 56 games they played as the favorites.
Against The Spread:
- In the playoffs, the Nuggets are averaging 116.4 points per game while the Heat are scoring 111.7 points per game.
- The Heat are averaging 4.7 points less than the Nuggets in the playoffs this season.
Over/Under:
- For the Heat, Jimmy Butler led the scoring with 28.5 points in the playoffs, followed by Bam Adebayo (16.8), Caleb Martin (14.1), and Gabe Vincent (13.1).
- For the Nuggets, Nikola Jokic led the scoring with 29.9 points in the playoffs, followed by Jamal Murray (27.7), Michael Porter Jr. (14.6), and Aaron Gordon (13).
Denver Nuggets vs Miami Heat: How to Watch
When and where will the Denver Nuggets vs Miami Heat, 2023 NBA Finals Game 1 take place?
The 2023 NBA Finals Game 1 between Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat will take place on June 2 at 06:00 am IST (June 1, 07:30 pm ET) at the Ball Arena.
Where to watch the live telecast of the Denver Nuggets vs Miami Heat, 2023 NBA Finals Game 1 in India and the US?
The live telecast of the 2023 NBA Finals Game 1 between Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat will be available on Sports 18 in India and on TNT and NBA TV in the US.
Where to watch the live stream of the Denver Nuggets vs Miami Heat, 2023 NBA Finals Game 1 in India and the US?
The 2023 NBA Finals Game 1 between Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat can be streamed live on Voot Select, Jio Cinema, and NBA.com on a subscription basis in India, and on ESPN and ABC in the US.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the author’s point of view. They neither reflect the opinion of SportsTiger nor advise anyone to make any prediction based on this. SportsTiger does not assume any responsibility and liability for the same.