The rematch of last year’s NBA Finals will take place tonight as the streaking Miami Heat pay a visit to the Denver Nuggets. Tipoff is set for 10 p.m. ET and the game will air on TNT.
Miami (33-25) is rolling on a five-game win streak that extends back before the All-Star break and was able to to down the Trail Blazers 106-96 on Tuesday. Jimmy Butler returned from his one-game suspension and dropped 22 points and nine assists in the win. Denver (40-19) has won all four of its games since the break and is fresh off stifling the Kings in a 117-96 victory last night. From the second quarter on, the Nuggets were able to lock down defensively and that allowed for them to pull past Sacramento and run away with the contest.
On the injury front, Tyler Herro (knee) is listed as questionable for the Heat, while Kevin Love (heel) and Josh Richardson (shoulder) are both out. The Nuggets have yet to release an injury report as of this writing.
Denver enters the game as a 4.5-point favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook, accompanied by a total of 213.5. The Nuggets are listed as a -192 moneyline favorite, making the Heat a +160 underdog.
Heat vs. Nuggets, 10 p.m. ET
Pick ATS: Heat +4.5
Something has to give in this Finals rematch as both teams have a lot of momentum heading into this contest. They are both averaging over a +12.5 point differential in their last five games as they’ve performed well offensively while holding opponents to under 45% shooting during that span. Denver is 4-7 against the spread when having no rest in between games this season and I think that sets up Miami to come into Ball Arena and cover this evening.
Over/Under: Over 213.5
We should see a tight, competitive matchup between two teams that can hold their respective opponents to under 100 points when dialed in on the defensive end, However, I don’t anticipate this being a total rock fight as both teams are capable of putting up big numbers on offense. 213.5 is low enough for me to lean towards the over cashing tonight.