Miami undertakes its Round 2 Playoff campaign with a road win versus New York. The Eastern Conference eighth seed surprised everyone again and pulled off the underdog victory over the fifth-seed Knicks. Erik Spoelstra and the rest of the Heat nation powered through the loud New York crowd and won the game by seven points, 108-101.

Tuesday’s game will be crucial for the Knicks as they need to level the series before heading south for Game 3. This is brewing to become another classic clash between the franchises and we expect nothing less moving forward.

Nitrobetting is ready to dish out key assists and lob passes with betting tips and news coverage throughout the 2023 NBA Playoffs. Let’s break down the upcoming playoff showdown between the Miami Heat and the New York Knicks.

Heat vs. Knicks Game 2 2023 NBA Playoffs Second-Round Information

• When: Tuesday, May 2, 2023, 7:30 PM ET
• Where: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
• TV: TNT
• Radio: 560 The Joe WQAM (Heat) // 104.5 The Team ESPN Radio (Knicks)
• Live Stream: NBA League Pass
• NBA Betting Odds: Heat (+7) / Knicks (-7)

READ MORE: 76ers vs. Celtics 2023 NBA Playoffs Odds and Game 1 Preview – May 1st

Why Bet on the Miami Heat?

The Heat took Game 1 in an upset, 108-101, at the Garden on Sunday even though the Heat used banged-up star Jimmy Butler some as a “decoy.”

Butler sprained his right ankle with 5:05 remaining in the fourth quarter after stepping on Josh Hart’s foot. While he was able to remain in the game to attempt the resulting free throws, Butler was nowhere near his usual self. He finished with 25 points, 11 rebounds and four assists. Now that the Heat have a road split, it might make sense to rest Butler for Game 3 on Saturday. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said on Monday that Butler is “probably” a game-time decision for Tuesday’s Game 2.

Kyle Lowry said Butler showed his toughness, and the team’s toughness, by staying in the game, but in the moment the players were just hoping to see him get back up.

“That’s our guy. He’s our star. He’s our franchise player,” Lowry said. “We always want him to get up and the thoughts are hopefully he’s OK but if he’s not, we got to find, hold it down. … But this is what he does. He finished the game and he’s a tough dude.”

Butler has currently scored at least 25 points and shot at least 50 percent from the field in each of the six playoff games, tying for the fifth-longest such streak to begin a postseason in NBA history. Butler has scored 213 points through six games this postseason, marking the second-most points in NBA playoff history through the first six games by a player at least 30 years old.

Lowry finished with 18 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds in 29:59 off the bench. Lowry, listed at 6 feet, also had four blocks, setting a playoff career high. He became the shortest player with four blocks in a playoff game in the past 35 seasons. All four blocks came as the Knicks were driving in for layups.

Gabe Vincent had 20 points and five assists. In Miami’s first-round series against the Bucks, Vincent shot 14-of-33 from beyond the arc, with 12 of those attempts (and four makes) coming in the Game 5 clincher. He’ll continue to get quality looks in this series, especially if Butler cannot play in Game 2.

The Heat are shooting a playoff-best 42.9 percent from three-point range as Duncan Robinson is shooting 58.3 percent (14-of-24) from downtown, the second-highest percentage this postseason.

Why Bet on the New York Knicks?

With All-Star forward Julius Randle sitting out in Game 1 with an ankle injury, Obi Toppin started and had 18 points and eight rebounds. Toppin was just 4-of-11 from three in Game 1, but he still had a better afternoon than many of his teammates in that regard. The other Knicks combined to shoot 3-of-23 from beyond the arc.

RJ Barrett finished with 26 points and nine rebounds. Barrett shot 6-of-7 from the field in the first half, repeatedly getting downhill against the Heat defense. Miami did a better job of shutting off the paint after the halftime break, with Barrett going 2-of-7 from the field in the third quarter and 2-of-6 in the fourth. Jalen Brunson scored 25 points but took responsibility for his team’s downfall and failure to close the game.

“They finished the third quarter strong, finished the second quarter strong,” Brunson said of the Heat. “They had key moments in the game where we needed to finish strong, be strong, and that starts with me. Today I was horrific. Just very uncharacteristic by me — and this one’s on me. I got to be better. And we’ll go from there.”

Randle originally injured the ankle in a March 29 win over the Heat and missed the rest of the regular season. He returned for Game 1 of the Knicks’ playoff series against the Cavaliers but largely struggled to find rhythm, and he aggravated the injury in Game 5, missing the second half of the series-clinching win. His status for Game 2 and beyond is unclear.

“I don’t know how close [he was to playing],” coach Tom Thibodeau said after the loss. “I know he worked out before. I just trust him and the medical staff to make that decision. So plan both ways: a plan with him going and a plan if he didn’t go. So, once they make a decision, that’s it. You live with it and you gotta figure it out. We have more than enough.”

Knicks guard Quentin Grimes played 10 minutes after missing the final two games of the first round after suffering a shoulder contusion in Game 3 against the Cavs.

Heat vs. Knicks Betting Trends

• Heat are 4-0 ATS in the last 4 games overall.
• Miami is 10-28-1 ATS in its last 39 games following a ATS win.
• The total went over in 5 of Miami’s last 6 games.
• Knicks are 4-1 ATS in the last 5 games overall.
• New York is 10-4-1 ATS in its last 15 home games.
• The total went under in 6 of New York’s last 6 games.

Heat vs. Knicks Game 2 Expert Betting Predictions

Jimmy Butler’s status is of paramount importance in this game. There’s still time before you lock in your picks, but going in at the last minute is a non-issue for situations like this. Nevertheless, the Heat is still the better team on paper and have more playoff experience under their belts. Although they have yet to be favored in a postseason game this year, they’ve done enough to silence critics. Covering the spread shouldn’t be a problem for the visitors as well.

But, New York has the pieces to get things done. If head coach Tom Thibodeau can get his system to flow with the Heat, there’s also a good chance that they level the series before going to Florida for Game 3. Keep in mind that this Knicks squad made minced meat off a promising Cleveland Cavaliers team. Getting the W is still a highly probable scenario for this unit if they can shake off the opening game’s results.

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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.