the Nuggets He won – and covered – Game 1 of the NBA Finals vs heat behind another Nikola Jokic Triple double, his ninth of the postseason.
Miami’s fourth-quarter push made things interesting but Denver still prevailed, 103-94, to cover a 9-point lead going into the series opener. Nuggets 8.5 points favourite In game two on Sunday at Ball Arena, where they went undefeated in the playoffs.
The Heat had stolen the first game in each of their previous three game series against the Bucks, Knicks, and Celtics, respectively, to build up an early lead over their higher-seeded opponents. And Denver denied them this advantage and moved to A.J -901 favorite in SI Sportsbook to win the title.
Here are four betting picks and one main question for Game 2 of the NBA Finals, which kicks off at 8 p.m. EST Sunday on ABC.
Jimmy Butler dishes more dimes: Butler bets more than 6.5 assists
ButlerThursday’s 13 points were one of the lowest in the playoffs and he attempted just 14 shots, just shy of his 20.2 average. He wasn’t as ferocious looking for scoring opportunities as he was in the past, but got his teammates involved with two of his seven assists. Given how poorly Miami shot from the outside in Game 1 (max pressure It was 0-9 from three and Duncan Robinson After finishing 1-5), a night of rebound shooting could mean more assist opportunities moving forward. Butler was good for a 6.1 dime average in the Celtics series and never had less than five in those seven games. He has passed assists six times in his last 10 games, though only once in four attempts in games where the over/under is set at 6.5.
Miami keeps things close in Game 2: Heat bets +8.5
The Heat almost had a cover back in the opening series despite getting two free throws in the NBA Finals. They also shot just under 41% from the field and 33% from outside the arc, which is a significant drop from their playoff marks of 46.8% and 38.7%, respectively. A rebounding performance for Miami, which is 7-4 against the spread on the road in the postseason. The fact that the Nuggets were held to 104 points is a point in the Heat’s favor – they just need more offense from Butler, Martin and Strus to stay within striking distance.
Nikola Jokic fills the stat sheet again: Jokic bet on 23.5 rebounds + assists
There have been 12 triple-doubles in the postseason. Bam AdebayoAnd Giannis Antikonmo And Steve Curry Each has one – Joki accounts for the other nine. He hit an effective 27/10/14 streak in his first-ever Finals game, his second consecutive triple-double and sixth in seven games. Jokić’s rebounding (13.1) and assist numbers (10.5) are truly amazing in the playoffs, so much so that his odds of hitting a triple-double in Game 2 are -145. But you can get better odds (-125) just by betting on total rebounds and passes. He has struck out more in three of his last five innings.
Michael Porter Jr. Keeps the Streak Alive: Porter gambled to score a double
Although his outside shot was not a drop (2-11 from three), porter He was busy on the boards and collected 13 rebounds in Game 1, a playoff high. It was his third consecutive double-double and fourth in five matches. His Game 2 rebound support is set at 8.5 (up from 7.5 in Game 1) but is available to record another double-double at odds of +190, fourth-longest behind Jokić, Adebayo and Butler. The return there is even more enticing, especially considering that Porter has finished with 10 or more points in all but one game.
Will the Nuggets offense ever get back into shape?
Denver’s 104 points on Thursday was the second fewest by a team in the postseason and was well below its average of 115.3. Despite the great games of Joki and Jamal Murray (26 points, 10 assists), the Nuggets did great from behind the arc (8-27). The fewest points they scored in the entire Lakers series was 108 in Game 2, so there’s something to be said for the Heat’s defense, which also held Boston on 84 points in Game 7 of the Eastern Finals. The lows for Game 2 of the series fell to 214 from 219 in Game 1 and Denver’s team total was set at 111.5.
NBA Playoffs betting record: 31-30
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