Well, after a long wait we have finally made it to the mecca. The 2023 NBA Finals are set to begin with two teams having very different seasons winding up here. The No. 8 Miami Heat went from nearly losing in the play-in tournament all the way to the big dance. All of the things that could have stopped them or gotten in the way, and yet they have chosen to not stop persevering for even a single second.
And for those Nuggets, this is truly a long-time coming. They have Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic together in the playoffs for the first time since 2020, when they were but three wins away from the NBA Finals. It was tough in Jamal’s absence, as well as that of Michael Porter Jr., for the team to be able to win much when they got to April and May. But they are four wins away and have home-court advantage. Could this be the year the franchise gets its first NBA title?
Let’s have a peak at the odds for the series opener, and who the winner of game 1 will wind up being.
ODDS:
SPREAD: DEN -9
ML: MIA +297, DEN -375
O/U: 219
Here Come Those Heat
If you’re sleeping on the Miami Heat at the moment, it might be time to finally wake up from that long nap. As big an underdog in this series as one team could be, they have overcome so much. It would be debatably the best ring ever won in league history. They took down each of the top two teams in the East, and would be taking down another top dog in Denver should things wind up coming to fruition. Lest we forget to mention yet again they are an 8-seed?
Jimmy Butler has played so well, and it’s been even more shocking that Caleb Martin has been his most consistent running mate. The two of them have carried the team through a lot, with all of the undrafted role players and Bam Adebayo stepping up as the squads needs. They will be ready for game 1 and can never be counted out.
Denver Seeks Quick Start
With Jokic and Murray playing together, nothing about stopping this team is easy. One of them dominates from the inside, while the other commands the action and attention on the perimeter. The two-man game is very much something to behold, and is a joy to be able to take in and watch. They play so beautifully off of one another, and then work touches in to the three other fellas on the court with them.
The way they will be able to claim game 1 is if they can go at their own speed. It is such a well-oiled machine that Miami has to play almost perfect ball to get it done. It’s also true that they are very capable of it, so Denver should not be sleeping on the team on the other side of the court. A battle is set to ensue.
Miami Steals One
The first game will go to the Heat as Denver deals with all of the rust they’ve had as a result of things going too well last round. Cheers for Jimmy and co.
PICK: MIA +297
