The 2023 NBA Finals rage on with Game 4 set to take place on Friday night as the Miami Heat will look to even up the series on their home floor against the Denver Nuggets. Let's take a look at our NBA odds series where our Nuggets-Heat prediction and pick will be revealed.
In an attempt to avoid losing two in a row to the Heat and falling behind 2-1, the Denver Nuggets attacked Miami with one of the more lethal one-two punches in recent playoff history as Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic became the first two teammates in NBA History to both record 30-point triple-doubles. Alas, it was a historic performance by the Nuggets, and now Denver possesses all of the confidence moving forward in this series as they were able to steal home-court advantage right back from Miami.
After it proved to be the Nuggets that were too much to overcome, the Heat will enter Friday in dire need to tie up the series at two apiece. If Miami ends up falling behind 3-1, then it is extremely difficult to imagine that they will be able to win three consecutive contests versus the number-one seed out west. Can Miami put forth a better overall performance including much more effort in Game 4?
Here are the Nuggets-Heat NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Finals Odds: Nuggets-Heat Game 4 Odds
Denver Nuggets: -3.5 (-110)
Miami Heat: +3.5 (-110)
Over: 210.5 (-112)
Under: 210.5 (-105)
How To Watch Nuggets vs. Heat NBA Finals
TV: ABC/ESPN
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 8:30 ET/5:30 PT
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Nuggets Could Cover The Spread
After seeing their seven-game postseason winning streak snapped on Sunday, the Nuggets responded exactly the way that championship-pedigree teams do. Despite Game 3 being close throughout the majority of the first half, the Nuggets turned on the afterburners as they eventually held as large as a 19-point lead in the early stages of the fourth quarter. Simply put, it was Denver that showcased their dominance on the hardwood and once again reminded the rest of the NBA why they have been one of the top teams in the entire association up to this point.
At first glance, the Nuggets put the clamps on the Heat defensively on Wednesday night as head coach Michael Malone loves to reiterate that a tremendous effort on defense always leads to looks on the offensive side of the floor. Believe it or not, this type of defensive tenacity will once again be the recipe for success if the Nuggets are going to cover the spread.
Once again as well, it is becoming more and more evident that the Heat have no answers for the magical play of Nikola Jokic. Just like everyone else that has gone face-to-face with the two-time MVP, there are little to no answers to defend Jokic and his superb facilitating type of play.
However, if the Nuggets are going to take Game 4 and run with it, they need much more production from Michael Porter Jr. During the entirety of the season, MPJ was one of the league's more pure shooters but has been absolutely abysmal over the course of the last two games as he has scored a combined 7 points on 3-15 shooting. Clearly, the Nuggets need their third-best player to snap out of his shooting funk ASAP.
Why The Heat Could Cover The Spread
In Game 2, Miami shot lights out from the floor that included shooting 48% from downtown en route to the three-point win. However, the Heat went ice-cold from the floor in Game 3 as Miami couldn't hit water if they were in a boat. In fact, by the time the final horn blew in Miami's 109-94 loss to Denver, the Heat shot an abysmal 37% from the floor altogether as they failed to get the offense going from the opening jump. Without a doubt, Miami's first order of business to bounce back in Game 4 is to shoot the basketball exponentially better if they want any chance against Denver.
In addition, the best way that the Heat can cover the spread on Friday night will be in the form of slowing down the game and sticking to their slow, half-court roots. Whenever Denver gets out and runs in transition, trouble usually follows if you're Miami. With that being said, it will be critical for the Heat to make sure they get back on missed shots to slow down the high-octane attack by the Nuggets. Clearly, Denver's mission is to get out on the fast break, and Miami cannot let that happen.
Overall, Miami also needs more from their role players. Alas, Gabe Vincent, Max Strus, and Caleb Martin went a combined 7-26 from the floor as this is something that cannot happen again. Certainly, this trio is capable of getting hot and they will need to return to their type of play in Game 2 in order to cover the spread and even up the series on Friday.
Final Nuggets-Heat Game 4 Prediction & Pick
In what should serve as the most vital game of the series thus far, the Nuggets will once again prove why they are the much superior squad.
Final Nuggets-Heat Game 4 Prediction & Pick: Nuggets -3.5 (-110)
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