Nuggets vs. Heat Game 2 Betting Odds: Moneyline, Spread, Total, and Player Props

Following their 104-93 win in Game 1 on Thursday, the Denver Nuggets have a 1-0 lead over the Miami Heat heading into Game 2 on Sunday night.

Game 2 tips off at 8:00 p.m. Eastern on ABC.

Here's how the Nuggets and Heat stack up heading into Game 2 in Denver.

All NBA odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.

Nuggets vs. Heat Game 2 Betting Odds: Moneyline, Spread, and Total

• Moneyline:
  • Nuggets: -370
  • Heat: +295
• Spread: Nuggets -8.5 (-110)
• Total: 214.5

Nuggets vs. Heat Game 2 Projections

Win projections via numberFire.

• Win Odds: 74.0% Nuggets

Nuggets vs. Heat Game 2 Player Props: Total Points, and Double Double Odds

• Total Points:
  • Jimmy Butler: 25.5
  • Nikola Jokic: 27.5
  • Jamal Murray: 26.5
  • Bam Adebayo: 18.5
  • Michael Porter Jr.: 15.5
  • Aaron Gordon: 13.5
  • Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: 9.5
  • Gabe Vincent: 12.5
  • Caleb Martin: 16.5
  • Max Strus: 8.5
• To Record a Double Double:
  • Nikola Jokic: -2300
  • Bam Adebayo: -125
  • Jimmy Butler: +170
  • Michael Porter Jr.: +190
  • Jamal Murray: +400
  • Aaron Gordon: +650

Nuggets vs. Heat Advanced Stats Breakdown

nERD via numberFire. Adjusted offensive/defensive ratings, pace, and shot distribution via DunksAndThrees.

• Nuggets:
  • nERD: 60.1 (7th)
  • Adjusted Offensive Rating: 116.9 (5th)
  • Adjusted Defensive Rating: 114.2 (18th)
  • Pace: 98.5 (21st)
  • Shot Distribution and Efficiency:
    • Rim: 39.0% (2nd) - 66.5% (3rd)
    • Mid: 24.9% (12th) - 43.4% (13th)
    • 3PT: 36.1% (21st) - 37.9% (4th)
• Heat:
  • nERD: 47.5 (22nd)
  • Adjusted Offensive Rating: 113.2 (25th)
  • Adjusted Defensive Rating: 113.4 (8th)
  • Pace: 96.3 (29th)
  • Shot Distribution and Efficiency:
    • Rim: 29.9% (29th) - 62.6% (20th)
    • Mid: 29.4% (24th) - 45.3% (7th)
    • 3PT: 40.8% (9th) - 34.4% (27th)

Nuggets vs. Heat Game 2 Analysis

As they have for the entire postseason, the Nuggets came to play at home in Game 1. They took the lead with nine minutes remaining in the first quarter and never gave it back, maintaining double-digit cushion for a majority of the game.

The scary takeaway for Miami is that Denver didn't shoot particularly well. They shot 50.6% from the field and 29.6% from behind the arc. Prior to the finals, Denver was shooting 40.2% from three at home this postseason. Their total of 104 points scored was well below their postseason home average of 115.4. Heading into Game 2, the Nuggets have room to improve.

Nikola Jokic was fantastic in his finals debut, recording 27 points, 10 rebounds, 14 assists, and a +14 plus/minus in 40 minutes played. Michael Porter Jr. led all players in plus/minus with a +20 and tallied 14 points, 13 rebounds, and 1 assist. All of Denver's starters finished with a plus/minus above +5.

For Miami, the bright spots were the play of Bam Adebayo and Gabe Vincent. Adebayo recorded 26 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 assists with a plus/minus of -6. Vincent, who finished was a plus/minus of 0, was the only Heat starter not to post a negative plus/minus.

Off the bench, Kyle Lowry was the only Miami player with a positive plus/minus (+2), finishing with 11 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists in 26 minutes played.

As a team, the Heat shot 40.6% from the field and 33.3% from behind the arc. Entering the NBA Finals, the Heat were shooting 48.6% from the field and 40.3% from three-point range on the road this postseason. Their 93 points scored were well below their postseason road average of 113.0.

Another major concern for Miami was how little they got to the line. After averaging 21.0 free throw attempts per game this postseason, the Heat attempted just 2 freebies in Game 1, compared to 20 for the Nuggets. Game 1 was just the second time this season that Jimmy Butler went an entire game without attempting a free throw; the other came in a 104-111 loss to the Boston Celtics in October.

Despite holding the Nuggets to their second-lowest point total of these playoffs, the Heat were never within reach of a Game 1 victory.

Heading into Game 2, with any nerves from their finals debut out of the way, Denver could easily improve on their offensive performance, especially from three-point range. They will enter Sunday in a comfortable and familiar situation, playing at home in a Game 2 with a 1-0 lead for the fourth time this postseason.

Miami will enter Game 2 without a lead in the series for the first time this postseason. After winning Game 1 in each of their previous series, the Heat now face the reality of needing to turn things around quickly to avoid heading back to Miami down 0-2.

The Heat have been resilient throughout the postseason, but Game 1 victories have been crucial to their success. To gain a foothold in this series, they will need to drastically improve their shooting in Game 2 and deliver Denver their first home loss of these playoffs. That turnaround needs to include Max Strus, who was 0-10 from the field and 0-9 from behind the arc in Game 1.

As it stands, the Nuggets are favorites to win Game 2 and the NBA Finals (-800), per the NBA Finals odds at FanDuel Sportsbook.

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author’s advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.