Heat vs. Nuggets First Basket Prediction & Odds: NBA Finals Game 1, 6/1
The 2023 NBA Finals are finally upon us with the Denver Nuggets looking for their first title in franchise history going against the Miami Heat, who are looking for their fourth championship. We should be in for a great series with the Nuggets looking extremely dominant and the Heat becoming the second #8 seed in NBA history to reach the NBA Finals.
With what has been such an unpredictable NBA playoffs, our experts have instead provided their Heat vs. Nuggets first basket prediction with odds brought to you by DraftKings Sportsbook.
HEAT VS. NUGGETS FIRST BASKET PREDICTION: Nikola Jokic (+425 at DraftKings Sportsbook)
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Playoff Stats for Notable Players in the 2023 NBA Finals
When it comes to making our Heat vs. Nuggets first basket prediction, it’s certainly worth checking out the playoff stats for how the key players have performed heading into the 2023 NBA Finals, and we have those for you below:
Jimmy Butler (MIA Heat):
- Points per game: 28.5
- Rebounds per game: 7.0
- Assists per game: 5.7
Bam Adebayo (MIA Heat):
- Points per game: 16.8
- Rebounds per game: 9.2
- Assists per game: 3.8
Nikola Jokic (DEN Nuggets):
- Points per game: 29.9
- Rebounds per game: 13.3
- Assists per game: 10.3
Jamal Murray (DEN Nuggets):
- Points per game: 27.7
- Rebounds per game: 6.1
- Assists per game: 5.5
Miami Heat vs. Denver Nuggets First Basket Predictions & Pick for NBA Finals Game 1
It may not seem overly exciting that we’re not going outside the box with our Heat vs. Nuggets first basket prediction, but with such great odds for nearly any player, there’s simply no reason to. Denver’s Nikola Jokic nearly won his third straight MVP this season and his stats above demonstrate just how dominant he’s been in the 2023 NBA Playoffs.
Jokic is averaging a triple-double and nearly 30 points per game during the Nuggets run. Jamal Murray certainly deserves some credit too, but he is a guy who is known to go on hot and cold streaks, so a nine-day layoff heading into tonight’s Game 1 may not be ideal for him trying to carry over his success from the Western Conference Finals.
It also plays to Jokic’s benefit given the size advantage. He’s already proven that he can bang with any big down low, but the Heat simply don’t have a great matchup for him. Jokic is 6-foot-11, 284 pounds, while Miami center Bam Adebayo is 6-foot- 9, 255 pounds. Along with his great skill set, Jokic could prove to be a matchup nightmare for the Heat.
When these teams most recently met in the regular season, Jokic scored the first basket for Denver, and we’re confident he can do it again before Miami gets on the board with our Heat vs. Nuggets first basket prediction, which comes with +425 odds at DraftKings Sportsbook.
Heat vs. Nuggets First Basket Odds Available at DraftKings Sportsbook
With our Heat vs. Nuggets first basket prediction on Jokic with +425 odds, a $100 bet profits $425 if he indeed scores the first basket of the game. We also have the latest odds at DraftKings Sportsbook for the other top favorites below:
- Nikola Jokic: +425
- Jamal Murray: +550
- Jimmy Butler: +550
- Bam Adebayo: +650
- Michael Porter Jr.: +800
- Caleb Martin: +850
- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: +900
- Gabe Vincent: +900
- Aaron Gordon: +1000
- Max Strus: +1000
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