The Miami Heat pulled off a remarkable comeback in Match 2 of the 2023 NBA Finals, defeating the Denver Nuggets 111-108 to level the series. The finals now switch to Miami, where the Heat will be looking to cash in on home advantage. Match 3 of the series between the Heat and the Nuggets is on Wednesday, and here we preview it and tell you who we think will win in our latest NBA betting picks.
Well, that wasn’t in the script, that’s for sure. The Miami Heat won match two of the series, and in doing so, they not only leveled the NBA Final series at one match each, but also inflicted a first home defeat of the playoffs on the Denver Nuggets.
It’s fair to say not many saw that result coming at the start of the match, and it would be even fairer to say it didn’t look on the cards at the end of the 3rd quarter, when the Nuggets held an eight point lead (83-75). But what happened in that 4th quarter not only took the Nuggets by surprise, but also the NBA world.
Gabe Vincent (23 points) and Jimmy Butler (21 points) led the way, but the win was sealed by Bam Adebayo with a pair of free throws with less than a minute remaining. So, was the Heat’s comeback a turning point in the finals? Or was it just a blip that the Nuggets will bounce back from?
The best NBA finals betting sites seem to think it was a blip that the Nuggets will bounce back from. In the betting to win the series, they still have Michael Malone’s team at -280 to win the 2023 NBA Finals, for what would be their first ever championship title win. The Heat are still regarded as outsiders at +235.
The win for the Heat saw them make history, as they now have the most wins for a No.8 seed in a single postseason. The win was their 13th, surpassing the 12 achieved by the New York Knicks back in 1999.
The result also may put doubts in the minds of the Nuggets’ players, who are looking to win the championship for the first time ever for Denver. The Nuggets know the championship is within their reach, but this could be the stage when nerves start to take effect. And the Heat, led by Erik Spoelstra, will know this only too well.
In the series props betting, it’s also still Denver all the way. A series win of 4-1 is +325, with 4-2 at +290, and a 4-3 win at +225. For a Miami win, 4-1 is a huge looking +1400, with 4-2 at +800, and 4-3 at +550.
But what about the betting odds to win Match 3? Well, the NBA betting sites have it down as a tight looking match on paper. This is probably more down to the fact the Heat have home advantage. On the moneyline, the Nuggets are still the favorites, but it’s at a more realistic -136. The Heat are +116.
The closeness of this is also reflected on the handicap spread, where the mark is set at 2 in favor of Miami. Starting at +2, the Heat are -108, with the Nuggets at -112. This could alter during the day in the lead up to the match. So it’s worth keeping a close eye on the latest betting odds.
More betting on the match can be found below on our odds table. We’ve taken our odds from the top betting sites for basketball. You can read more about these sites on our online sportsbook reviews page.
| Heat vs Nuggets NBA Finals Match 3 Betting |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miami Heat | +116 | +116 | +116 |
| Denver Nuggets | -136 | -136 | -136 |
| Handicap Line | |||
| Miami Heat (+2) | -108 | -108 | -108 |
| Denver Nuggets (-2) | -112 | -112 | -112 |
It’s fair to say that there’s little wrong with the form of Nikola Jokic, even if his franchise teammates weren’t on song on Sunday night. Jokic scored an almighty 41 points, and can consider himself mightily unlucky to end up on the losing side.
But leaving aside Jokic, should Nuggets’ fans be starting to get worried? Their head coach Michael Malone said after the defeat “Let’s talk about effort, I mean, this is the NBA Finals and we’re talking about effort. That’s a huge concern of mine.”
For a head coach to be calling his side out for a lack of effort in the second match of an NBA Finals is quite alarming.
But will this serve as the proverbial kick up the backside that we all know it is intended to be? The Nuggets players can’t start sulking at this stage, and if they go on and win the series, they will surely be thankful to Malone, rather than banging on his door asking him what the hell is he talking about. Which is usually the outcome when a coach accuses his players in public of not trying.
We feel the seriousness of what Michael Malone said won’t be lost on his players. And we also feel it will inspire them to put the record straight.
Whatever has been said and has just happened, it can also be argued that it was only one bad quarter of basketball. Okay, it could prove to be a pivotal quarter. But we think it would be stupid to abandon the Nuggets after one bad result, and we’re backing them to win Match 3 and also to cover the spread.
See below the top sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
About the Author
Dean is primarily a fan of English football who regularly attends games, and combining his hobby with his job, he is now a full-time sports betting writer. Rather than going down the educational route into sports journalism, Dean learned his trade by writing for his English football betting website since 2009, where he now boasts nearly 15 years of experience. After writing about football daily for years, Dean has taken the skills he learned and now uses them to great effect writing for numerous affiliate sites across the internet. A general all-around sports enthusiast with a passion for English football and cricket, Dean is also well able to turn his hand to writing about golf, tennis, F1, boxing, snooker, darts, and North American sports. Combining his extensive knowledge and experience with British humor and wit, Dean has developed into a trusted voice within the sports betting industry.
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