The stage is set for the NBA Finals. Denver sliced through the Western Conference Finals and took down the Los Angeles Lakers in four games. They host the first two games and are well-rested following a relatively short third round.

Meanwhile, Miami came off a seven-game Eastern Conference Finals series and headed straight to Denver after a thrilling tussle with the Celtics. Both sides deserve to be in the spotlight and built multiple arguments as to why they deserve the Larry O’Brien Championship trophy. With that, let’s get in on the essential info and team stats you need to know before making the final pick.

Nitrobetting is ready to dish out key assists and lob passes with betting tips and news coverage throughout the 2023 NBA Finals. We break down the upcoming playoff showdown between the Miami Heat and the Denver Nuggets.

Heat vs. Nuggets 2023 NBA Finals Game 1 Information

• When: Thursday, June 1, 2023, 8:30 PM ET
• Where: Ball Arena, Denver, CO
• TV: ABC
• Radio: 560 The Joe WQAM (Heat) // Altitude Sports Radio 92.5 FM (Nuggets)
• Stream: NBA League Pass
• NBA Odds: Heat (+8.5) // Nuggets (-8.5)

Why Bet on the Miami Heat?

Miami was not expected to go this far at any point prior to the opening round of the playoffs, especially not after losing to the Hawks in the first game of the play-in tournament. Since that loss, the Heat have gone 13-6 in the postseason.

The Heat advanced with a 103-84 upset in Boston on Monday in Game 7 to avoid becoming the first team to blow a 3-0 series lead and lose in the NBA playoffs. Jimmy Butler posted 28 points, seven rebounds and six assists and was named MVP of the Eastern Conference Finals. Butler has tallied at least 25 points, five rebounds and five assists in five of his last seven outings.

Caleb Martin had 26 points and 10 rebounds in Monday’s win. Martin, who didn’t have a 25-point performance during the regular season, surpassed that mark twice in the Eastern Conference Finals and has recorded two straight double-doubles for Miami.

Butler & Martin became the 2nd duo in Heat franchise history to each score 25 points in a series clinching conference finals win. They joined LeBron James & Chris Bosh in 2014 vs Pacers as the only pairs to accomplish the feat in franchise history.

The Heat made their first NBA Finals appearance in 2006, they have been back 6 times since including this season. Those 7 NBA Finals appearances are the most in the NBA during that span. Miami is the 2nd No. 8 seed to reach the Finals, joining the Knicks in 1999. They become the 3rd team in NBA history to rank last in PPG during the regular season and reach the NBA Finals. Since the play-in tournament was introduced in 2021, Miami is the first team to reach the Finals after playing in the tournament.

Seven undrafted players have played this postseason for the Heat. That is the most undrafted players to play in a postseason for a team to appear in the Finals in the modern draft era (since 1966-67). Heat executive Pat Riley is going to his 19th NBA Finals as a player, coach or front office member.

Heat starting guard Tyler Herro was hurt in Game 1 of Round 1 vs. Milwaukee. The 20-point scorer will not be ready for Game 1 of this series by maybe by Game 3.

Why Bet on the Denver Nuggets?

Denver won the regular-season series 2-0 and in fact has won six straight vs. Miami. The teams last played on Feb. 13 in Miami and the Nuggets prevailed 112-108. Nikola Jokic had 27 points on 12-for-14 shooting along with 12 rebounds and eight assists. The Nuggets were 29 of 40 inside the paint, good for 58 points. Denver was without its second- and third-leading scorers — Jamal Murray (right knee inflammation) and Aaron Gordon (left rib contusion). Jimmy Butler had 24 points, nine assists and eight rebounds for the Heat.

This is the first NBA Finals matchup in the past 35 years with both teams entering the regular season with +1500 title odds or longer as the Heat were +2400 and Nuggets +1600. It’s the first NBA Finals matchup in the modern draft era (since 1966) with each team’s leading scorer drafted 14th or lower in Miami’s Jimmy Butler (drafted 30th overall) and Denver’s Nikola Jokic (41st).

By the time Game 1 tips off Thursday, the Nuggets will have been off for 10 days, just the fourth time in the past two decades a team has gotten that long a break before the Finals. Teams like Denver with at least a five-day rest advantage heading into the NBA Finals have gone 10-6 (.625) in the opening game. When teams with that large a rest edge have been at home for Game 1 of the Finals, they’re 8-1 (.889) — far better than the overall .763 winning percentage for Game 1 hosts (58-18). The only loss was by the 1998 Utah Jazz against the “Last Dance” Chicago Bulls.

Heat vs. Nuggets Betting Trends

• Heat are 8-2 ATS in the last 10 games following a straight-up win.
• Heat are 12-4 ATS in its last 16 games overall.
• The total went under in 4 of Miami’s last 5 games.
• Nuggets are 5-2 ATS in the last 7 games playing on 3 or more days rest.
• Nuggets are 7-3 ATS in irs last 10 home games.
• The total went under in 4 of Denver’s last 6 games.

Heat vs. Nuggets 2023 NBA Finals Game 1 Expert Betting Prediction

The Denver Nuggets are the obvious favorites as they’re recharged and playing in front of the Ball Arena crowd. They win by an average of 10.1 points at home and have a solid record against the spread. However, the Heat are money makers in this position. They thrive as underdogs and can be very unpredictable on the road.

Miami won three of their last four games at TD Garden, and that says a lot about their perseverance. Covering the spread should be easy for the visitors if they can get some much-needed momentum. In fact, a win is never off the table for a team that has been slaying giants in this year’s NBA Playoffs.

Where to Bet on the 2023 NBA Playoffs with Bitcoin

Nitrobetting offers a solid channel for those who want to bet on the 2023 NBA Season with bitcoin. The power of crypto and its lightning-fast transactions make the entire NBA Season betting more enjoyable.

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.

READ MORE: Heat vs. Nuggets 2023 NBA Finals Game 2 Odds and Preview – June 4th