On Thursday, the Denver Expert’s favored team, the Denver Nuggets, will face off against the Miami Heat in Game 1 of the 2023 NBA Finals. The Heat, with a record of 44-38, have a history of winning first games in the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Nuggets, boasting a record of 53-29, have also shown prowess in opening games. In the past decade, Denver has a dominant 9-1 overall record against the Heat, with a 4-1 home record.
Denver Expert’s Predictions for Nuggets vs. Heat in 2023 NBA Finals
The ball drops at Ball Arena at 8:30 p.m. ET. In the playoffs, Denver has a 49% field goal percentage, good for second in the league, while Miami is only at 47.2%, good for fifth. OKBet Sportsbook now has Denver as a -9 point favorite vs. the Heat, with total points scored over/under 218.5. Check out NBA insider Larry Hartstein’s predictions for the Nuggets vs. Heat on SportsLine before making your picks.
Formerly the lead writer for Covers and The Linemakers, Hartstein blends analytical rigor with an extensive network of Vegas insiders. As a result, he is a master NBA handicapper, particularly when choosing Denver Nuggets games. He has a 57-37-3 record against the spread and has returned $1,635 to $100 bettors over the last 97 Denver games.
Hartstein has recently settled on the Heat and the Nuggets for the 2023 NBA Finals and has made his predictions. You can check out Hartstein’s predictions right now over at SportsLine. The reason the Nuggets can go over
In addition to two-time MVP Nikola Jokic, Denver’s attack is getting contributions from a number of other players. Last week, in Game 4 against the Lakers, power forward Aaron Gordon scored 22 points, grabbed six boards, and dished out five assists. In three of the four games, Gordon scored in double figures. Gordon has played in 15 playoff games, averaging 13 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, a shooting guard, also plays a significant role in the Nuggets’ offense. In three of the four games he played against the Lakers, he scored in double figures, with his highest output being 21 points in Game 1. In the season-ending matchup against the Lakers on May 22, he recorded 13 points and four boards. Caldwell-Pope has averaged 11.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 33.3 minutes in 15 postseason games. Find out which group to support here.
Why can the heat cover
Caleb Martin, a small forward for the Heat, has recorded two consecutive double-doubles, a critical factor in the team’s success in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics. On Monday’s decisive triumph in Boston, Martin scored 26 points and pulled down 10 rebounds. In Game 6, he scored 21 points and grabbed 15 boards. In 18 playoff games, Martin is averaging 14.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.7 assists, roughly five points higher than his regular season average.
Gabe Vincent, the team’s point guard, has scored in double figures in three of the last four games, most recently Monday’s victory, when he tallied 10 points and four rebounds. He scored 29 points in the rout of the Celtics in Game 3 (128-102). He has played in 17 playoff games this season, averaging 13.1 points, 3.9 assists, and 1.7 rebounds per game. In 25 minutes of action during the regular season, he averaged nine points, three assists, and 1.5 rebounds versus Denver. Find out which group to support here.
Predictions for the Heat and the Nuggets
Hartstein is picking the Under and believes a decisive unknown element favors one side of the spread. What it is and whose side of the Nuggets vs. Heat spread it was on can be seen at SportsLine.
Who will win the Heat-Nuggets game, and what unknown variable will cause you to have to bet on one side or the other of the spread? You can visit SportsLine right now to get advice from the expert who has returned over $1,600 to $100 players on his last 97 Denver Nuggets picks on which side of the spread you should jump on Thursday for the game between the Heat and the Nuggets.