The NBA Finals are here, with the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat set to clash for a chance at the 2023 NBA Title. Looking at the betting odds from Bet365, the Denver Nuggets are -425 to win the NBA Finals. The Miami Heat are a +325 underdog to pull off the upset and win the series.
For Miami, this is familiar territory. This is the second time in four years the Heat are playing in the NBA Finals, and they also have played in the Eastern Conference Finals in three of the last four seasons.
In addition, this is the 6th time Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra navigated a team to the NBA Finals, although he has yet to capture a ring since he had LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh 10 years ago back in 2013. Nevertheless, Spoelstra is one of the best coaches in the NBA, and the Heat are the epitome of consistency in the league today.
The exact opposite can be said for the Denver Nuggets, who are playing in their first NBA Finals in franchise history. Led by two-time MVP Nikola Jokic and a stellar supporting cast featuring Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon, the Nuggets have been the cream of the crop in the Western Conference for the entire 2023 calendar year. Stewarded by head coach Michael Malone, the Nuggets locked up the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference and blew past the Minnesota Timberwolves, Phoenix Suns, and Los Angeles Lakers en route to the first NBA Finals appearance in club history.
Betting Notes:
According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Nikola Jokic is the heavy favorite to win NBA Finals MVP at -340 odds.
Jimmy Butler trails the Joker at +430 odds, followed by Jamal Murray at +1200 and Bam Adebayo at +4000. It is not surprising to see Jokic as such a heavy favorite considering all he has accomplished in the regular season and playoffs. If the Nuggets win the NBA Finals, Jokic will likely average a triple-double and be the most impactful player on the court. With that, keep an eye on Murray at 12/1 odds. He has captured a lot of the spotlight this season, and should he continue to score at will in these games, he could be worth a sprinkle at 12/1 odds.
That said, should the Heat navigate their way to an upset, Jimmy Butler will likely be a big reason why. Caleb Martin has also played a massive role in Miami’s postseason success, and he is priced at +6500 to win Finals MVP over at FanDuel Sportsbook.
The Denver Nuggets have owned the Miami Heat in recent memory. Denver has won the last six head-to-head matchups against the Heat, and Miami is only 9-25 against the spread in the previous 34 meetings. So will the Nuggets maintain their dominance or will Miami’s “Heat Culture” allow them to stick around in this series?
Given that the Nuggets are heavy favorites to win the series outright, there are several alternative ways to bet on this series. Exact series outcomes are interesting bets to make if you want a chance at longer odds. Looking over at Caesars Sportsbook, there is a laundry list of prices for exact series outcome.
Nuggets in 4 +450
Nuggets in 5 +235
Nuggets in 6 +340
Nuggets in 7 +390
Heat in 4 +5000
Heat in 5 +2200
Heat in 6 +750
Heat in 7 +950
Another way to bet on this series is with a handicap. Nuggets -1.5 is priced at -185 on Caesars Sportsbook. If you like Denver in the series, this is a different way to bet the series at a better price if you believe Denver can get the job done in under 7 games. Obviously, there is added risk with a series handicap, but considering Denver is the heavy -425 favorite, this is a way to squeeze out some of that juice and get a better price on the favorite.
Good luck with your NBA Finals bets.
