Heat vs Nuggets Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for NBA Finals Game 2 (Jokic Showcases Playmaking Prowess)

The 2022-23 NBA Finals continue on Sunday, June 4 with Game 2 of the exciting Miami Heat vs. Denver Nuggets series.

Heat vs Nuggets Game 2 Info

• Series: DEN leads 1-0
• Date: Sunday, June 4, 2023
• Time: 8 p.m. ET
• Venue: Ball Arena -- Denver, Colorado
• Coverage: ABC

Game 1 of the NBA Finals was fairly one-sided as the Nuggets led by as many as 24 points en route to a 104-93 victory. Nikola Jokic dazzled with another triple-double (27 points, 10 rebounds, 14 assists) as the Nuggets dominated defensively, holding the Heat to 40.6% shooting from the floor.

Heat vs Nuggets Odds & Spread

• All NBA betting lines, odds, and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
• Moneyline: MIA: (+295) | DEN: (-370)
• Spread: MIA: +8.5 (-110) | DEN: -8.5 (-110)
• Total: 214.5 -- Over: (-110) | Under: (-110)

The Nuggets enter this contest as clear home favorites on the moneyline and spread per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This 8 p.m. ET clash also features an over/under of 214.5 points with both sides available at -110 odds.

Heat vs Nuggets Betting Trends

• Miami is 0-7 straight up (SU) in its last seven games against Denver.
• Denver is 11-0 SU in its last 11 home games.
• Miami is 1-5 against the spread (ATS) in its last six games against the Northwest Division.
• Denver is 7-0 ATS in its last seven games against Miami.
• The total has hit the Over in 10 of Miami's last 14 road games.
• The total has hit the Over in five of Denver's last six games against Miami.

Heat vs Nuggets Prediction & Pick

The Heat's Game 1 performance was underwhelming, to say the least. On top of their unfortunate 40.6% field-goal percentage, the Heat were undisciplined, taking 15 fouls that resulted in the Nuggets going 16-of-20 from the charity stripe. It also didn't help that Jimmy Butler — who's supposed to be Miami's best player — only scored 13 points on 42.9% shooting.

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Had the game been close, I could see the Heat having a chance to even the series, but the Nuggets were too dominant in the opening contest. It's clear that Miami's big men aren't good enough to cover Jokic, who was able to do anything he pleased. Until the Heat can shut him down, the Nuggets' offense will continue being lethal.

Furthermore, the Nuggets are 9-0 SU at home in the playoffs and 43-7 SU overall at Ball Arena this season. At the end of the day, I see the Heat continuing to crumble under the pressure that playing in the Mile High City brings, resulting in the Nuggets taking the 2-0 series lead.

Final Score Prediction: Nuggets: 114 | Heat: 105

Heat vs Nuggets Best Bet

Nikola Jokic's playmaking skills have been on full display throughout the postseason. The Serbian superstar is averaging 12.6 assists over his last nine games, finishing with at least a dozen seven times over that stretch.

I won't be shocked if Jokic has another 12-plus-assist performance on Sunday. For starters, he racked up 14 helpers against the Heat in Game 1. He's now finished with double-digit assist numbers in four of his past six matchups with Miami, tallying at least 12 in two of the last three.

After the Heat had no answer for the two-time NBA MVP on Thursday, expecting another dazzling playmaking performance this weekend.

Bet: Nikola Jokic to Record 12+ Assists (+115)

Watch FanDuel TV’s new NBA show “Run It Back” with Shams Charania, Michelle Beadle, Chandler Parsons, and Eddie Gonzalez Monday-Wednesday at 10 ET on FanDuel TV, the FanDuel Youtube page, or download the podcast here: fanduel.com/podcasts.

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.