After months of no action, basketball fans finally got something to cheer about on Thursday night with the return of the NBA. It proved to be a fantastic opening night, with both games on the schedule delivering the goods. Zion Williamson looked great in his return to the New Orleans Pelicans, albeit in a losing cause in a 106-104 defeat to the Utah Jazz. The second game now has us all hoping for an LA matchup in the playoffs, with the Lakers defeating the Clippers 103-101 in a fiercely contested battle. If the remainder of the regular season and the playoffs is anything like those two games, we are in for a treat. Let’s take a closer look at one of upcoming matches on Sunday so you place your bets against their NBA odds.
NBA Analysis – Miami Heat Vs Denver Nuggets Game Preview
There are a number of games set to go on Saturday, but we are going to jump ahead to Sunday, where we will have 5 games spread out through the course of the day. We are going to take a look at the opening game of the Saturday schedule first, which has the Miami Heat and the Denver Nuggets going head to head, with both teams looking to solidify their playoff seedings. The Nuggets are favored by 1 ½, with the point total set at 211.
Why bet on the Miami Heat
The Miami Heat come into the restart sitting in the #4 seed in the Eastern Conference, a position that they look likely to maintain through the next 8 games. They are 2 games up on the team directly below them and 2 ½ games back of the #3 spot. It is tough to know how any team is going to react to the unique circumstances of the NBA right now, but there do have to be some concerns about the Heat. In their own building, they have one of the best records in the NBA, but they are not going to be back there for quite some time. This is essentially like a road game, which is not good news for a team that is 14-19 away from home. The Heat are 5-11 in their last 16 games and have seen the total go OVER in 9 of their last 12.
Why bet on Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets will almost certainly have been delighted at the result of the Lakers/Clippers game last night, as the loss by the Clippers leaves Denver just a game out of the #2 seed. They can really put on the pressure with a win here and you certainly have to like their chances. The Nuggets have won each of their last 3 meetings with the Heat, including a 109-89 win over them earlier this season. They have a winning record against teams who have a better than .500 record, going 15-11 in those matchups. Prior to the lockdown, the Nuggets were struggling to cover the spread, going just 3-8 ATS in their last 11. They have won 4 of their last 5 games versus teams from the East.
- When: Saturday, Aug 1 at 1 PM EST
- Where: Wide World of Sports, Orlando
- Heat Vs Nuggets Live: ESPN
- Money Lines: Heat+105 / NBA odds.
Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction
The first full game back is going to be tough for every team in the league, which makes things a good deal tougher to handicap. Still, the Nuggets have owned Miami of late, so I am taking them to win and cover here.
- Pick: Miami Heats 93 Denver Nuggets 98
