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- Go to BetOnline or Bovada for the latest odds on the Heat vs Nuggets Game 3 matchup
- Nikola Jokic’s 41-point effort wasn’t enough in Sunday’s 111-108 loss
- ABC airs Game 3 from Kaseya Center in Miami on Wednesday, June 7 at 8:30 p.m. ET
Miami overcame a 15-point deficit to hand the Nuggets their first home loss of the postseason on Sunday night and even up the NBA Finals at 1-1. Michael Malone was disgusted by his club’s effort in Game 2 as Denver suffered their first defeat in Ball Arena since March 30.
With the series shifting to South Beach on Wednesday night, can the Heat continue to surprise? Before we look at the latest 2023 NBA Finals Betting Odds, check out our guide to betting on NBA basketball.
Heat vs Nuggets – Game 3
 | Spread | Money Line | Total Points |
| Denver Nuggets | -2.5 (-115) | -140 | Ov 215.5 (-110) |
| Miami Heat | +2.5 (-105) | +120 | Un 215.5 (-110) |
Miami heats up in 4th quarter
Miami started the fourth-quarter of Sunday’s game on a 13-2 run and never looked back. Five Heat players went for double-figures in the 111-108 victory, including Gabe Vincent and his team-leading 23 points, and Duncan Robinson, who scored all 10 of his points in the final frame.
Both Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo notched 21 points with the former dishing out nine assists and the latter grabbing nine rebounds. Erik Spoelstra’s club has now competed in a league-high 54 games involving “clutch” situations (a margin within five points with less than five minutes remaining), winning 44 of them.
"It's the I don't give a damn factor" 😤
Jimmy Butler on why this team is so resilient pic.twitter.com/O75ZYXWPdX
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 5, 2023
Dismal Denver effort
Michael Malone was not happy with his team’s effort after losing for the first time in 10 home playoff games. “This is the NBA Finals. We are talking about effort. That’s a huge concern of mine,” said the Nuggets’ head coach. His team wasted a 41-point, 11-rebound performance by Nikola Jokic. Oddly, Denver is 0-3 this postseason when the Serbian star scores 40 or more points.
Is turning Jokic into a scorer the way to defeat the Western Conference’s best team? Erik Spoelstra believes that’s an oversimplification, saying, “It’s the untrained eye that says something like that… Twice in two seasons, this guy has been the best player on this planet. You can’t just say, ‘Oh, make him a scorer.’ That’s not how they play.”
Miami vs Denver – Game 3
Miami is a 2.5-point home underdog in Game 3 of the NBA Finals. This disrespectful line is nothing new for a No. 8 seed that was only favored in one of seven contests in their Eastern Conference Finals victory over Boston. The Heat are 6-2 at Kaseya Center this postseason but they have dropped their past two games at home.
Nikola Jokic continues to make history 👏 pic.twitter.com/n7Cl1GuK36
— NBA (@NBA) June 5, 2023
Before Sunday’s loss, Denver was 37-1 this season when ahead by at least eight points going into the fourth quarter. They’ll need a better effort from Jamal Murray in Game 3. While the Canadian finished with 18 points and 10 assists, he was just 7-of-15 from the field, and missed a would-be game-tying 3-pointer at the buzzer.
Best Bet
We’ll take the Nuggets to cover the 2.5-points on the road and come away with a Game 3 win. However, if you think Miami can hold court on Wednesday, they’re at +245 to win the series. That provides much more value than taking the Heat Game 3 money line at +120.
See below the top sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
