The 2023 NBA Finals get underway with Game 1 between the Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets set to tipoff at 8:30 p.m. Thursday. The Nuggets come in as the heavy favorites to win the series as the No. 1 seed in the West, while the Heat hope to continue their run as the underdog and No. 8 seed from the East.
Here’s a look at how the public at DraftKings Sportsbook is betting on the series outcome.
Nuggets vs. Heat series betting splits
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Series splits
A whopping 64% of bets coming on the series outcome are going in Miami’s direction, although there is more overall money coming in on Denver. The Nuggets are not offering much value as the outright series winner at -425, while Miami is priced at a much better +320 payout. Bettors appear to finally be buying into the Heat run, and are backing the team to become the first No. 8 seed to win the NBA Finals.