Heat vs. Bucks 2023 NBA Playoffs Odds and Game 2 Preview – April 19th

By Jeff Stinger • April 19, 2023

The visitors drew first blood in this Heat vs. Bucks first-round series. Miami got a breather when Bucks star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo left the court after a hard fall. The ‘Greek Freak’ remains questionable leading up to Game 2, with the visitors winning the game as underdogs. Head coach Erik Spoelstra gets that much-needed road victory and a chance to stretch the lead to two games before returning to Florida.

Meanwhile, the 2021 NBA Champions have to adjust accordingly if Giannis needs more time to recover. They are the better team on paper here. Ultimately, we expect another action-packed clash between both sides on Wednesday night.

Nitrobetting is ready to dish out key assists and lob passes with betting tips and news coverage throughout the 2023 NBA Playoffs. This time, let’s break down the upcoming playoff showdown between the Miami Heat and the Milwaukee Bucks.

Heat vs. Bucks Game 2 2023 NBA Playoffs First-Round Information

When: Wednesday, April 19, 2023, 9:00 PM ET
Where: FedExForum, Memphis, TN
TV: NBATV, BSWI, BSSUN
Radio: 560 The Joe WQAM (Heat) // WTMJ 620 AM (Bucks)
Live Stream: NBA League Pass
NBA Betting Odds: Heat (+6) / Bucks (-6)

Why Bet on the Miami Heat?

Tyler Herro recently sustained a hand injury that left him out of the lineup until at least May 25. He dropped 12 points, two rebounds, and two assists before retiring early in Game 1. Nevertheless, the rest of the Heat performed well against the Eastern Conference top seed. Miami closed the game shooting nearly 60% from the field. They were on fire that night and also hit 15 of 25 attempts from downtown for a 60% three-point shooting percentage.

Jimmy Butler carried the team offensively, scoring 35 points on 15 of 27 shooting and making five of eight foul shots. As a team, the Heat recorded three more turnovers than the Bucks. The visitors did capitalize on their opponent’s turnovers and scored 20 points off said opportunities. More than that, Miami dominated the interior and scored 62 of their 130 points in the paint.

As a team, Miami is one of the worst scorers in the regular season with 109.6 points per game on a 26th-best 46.1% shooting. But, things start to change when looking at their defensive statistics. Miami holds opponents to a second-best 109.7 points per game on 48.1% shooting. They have solid close-range protection that limits competitors to 49.2 points in the paint per game while keeping opponent fastbreak points to 12.4 per game.

Why Bet on the Milwaukee Bucks?

Milwaukee relied on Khris Middleton since Giannis left the floor after 11 minutes. The 31-year-old forward topped his side with 33 points and shot 12 of 20 from the field. Middleton also made seven of his ten free throws in 33 minutes. He also led the team in rebounds with nine boards. As a team, the Bucks shot 49.5% from the field in an underwhelming 24.4% from deep. They had a bad shooting night and drained only 11 of 45 attempts from deep.

The Bucks need a better game plan if they want to keep things tight in Game 1. For a team that leads the league in several defense statistics, it was disappointing to see the 2021 champions crumble against an erratic Heat squad. Defensively, the hosts limit teams to 113.5 points per game on 45.7% opponent shooting. They have the best interior shooting defense and hold opponents to 51.5% from the two-point range. Furthermore, the Bucks keep the perimeter defense tight and log a 35.6% opponent three-point percentage.

The hosts need better shooting numbers from deep if they want to keep up. They did collect two more rebounds than the Heat, but we expect the league’s best-rebounding unit to do better against the 25th-ranked rebounding team in the league.

Heat vs. Bucks Betting Trends

The Heat won four of the last five road playoff games (4-1 ATS).
The Heat are 3-2 in its last five games versus the Bucks (2-3 ATS).
The totals went over in three of the Heat’s last four road postseason contests.
The Bucks are 3-3 in the last six contests (2-4 ATS).
The Bucks won two of its last five postseason games at Fiserv Forum.
The totals have gone under in three of the Bucks’ last five home playoff games.

Heat vs. Bucks Game 2 Expert Betting Predictions

The Bucks remain favored once Giannis gets the green light. Meanwhile, the Heat remains underdogs and has to operate without Tyler Herro on the floor. The visitors have been one of the worst offensive teams in the league since the season started, so don’t expect them to maintain their pace from last Sunday.

Nevertheless, these teams know each other well and usually bring us closely-contested games. There are no surprises on either side this time, and the Heat have got the best of the Bucks in their last nine meetings. Covering the spread should be doable for Miami and the rest of the crew, but the Bucks could keep things tighter this time around.

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This is just one of the many sports betting guides that you can read here at Nitrobetting news. Stay tuned for more 2022-23 NBA season previews and articles and don’t forget to check out the latest basketball betting odds on our online BTC sportsbook.

*All odds stated are subject to change without prior notice.