Denver Nuggets vs Miami Heat Prediction & Betting Tips - NBA

Prediction published on 04/06/2023, 06:33  by Joseph King | Modified on 04/06/2023 at 06:33 in NBA Predictions

The Denver Nuggets will look to take a 2-0 series lead when they host the Miami Heat for the second game of the NBA Finals. Denver made it look relatively easy in game one where they cruised to a 104-93 victory. The Nuggets lead wire-to-wire in that game, never relinquishing their lead and at one point building up a 20+ point advantage. It’s the perfect start for the Nikola Jokic led Nuggets as the team to win game one goes on to win the series 69.4% of the time throughout NBA history. Denver will host game two before the series heads to South Beach in Miami for games three and four.

Denver’s game one win means that they have now won their last seven straight in the NBA Playoffs. The team is on a roll and has looked especially dominant at the Pepsi Center this season. The Western Conference champions have posted a league best 43 wins from their 50 home games this campaign, with the regular season and postseason included. They are also yet to lose on their home court this playoff run and have posted a current winning streak of 12 home games. The Heat will have to find an answer for two-time MVP Nikola Jokic who put up 27 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds in game one.

The Miami Heat will have to improve their shooting to stand a chance at evening up this series at 1-1 before heading back home. Miami shot only 40.6% from the field in game one compared to the 50.6% from Denver. The worrying aspect of the game one loss for Miami is that it can be strongly argued that the Nuggets were far from playing their A-game. Denver shot only 29.6% from three on 27 attempts. They tried to double Jokic in the first half but the big Serbian center was able to pull them apart with his elite passing. Miami also really struggled to get to the free throw line, posting only two free throw attempts in the game one loss.