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The Miami Heat began the NBA Finals as heavy underdogs to the Denver Nuggets, and things got worse for them at the sports books after the Game 1 debacle. But now that the Heat have rallied to even the series at a game apiece, their odds of winning the championship are as good as they’ve been thus far.
The Heat entered the series with a designation of +325, making the Nuggets the overwhelming favorites given their seeding difference, home court advantage, and MVP presence. It looked as though Denver was proving the oddsmakers correct in Game 1. The Nuggets were victorious by 11 points in that one, though it felt like a bigger blowout than it actually was.
Miami Heat Win Game 2, Shorten Series Odds Significantly
THE HEAT TIE UP THE FINALS HEADING TO MIAMI 🌴 @MiamiHEAT | #NBAFinals pic.twitter.com/aQXUyOvw4i
— ESPN (@espn) June 5, 2023
The dominance from Nikola Jokić and company resulted in a massive odds swing to put things in Denver’s favor even further. After the first contest, the Nuggets’ series line shot all the way up to -800, making them all but a sure thing to win it all. Few pundits were giving the Heat a fighting chance, with most predicting a sweep or 5-game series.
But the Heat responded in Game 2. They build an early lead thanks to hot three-point shooting from Max Struss, but went cold in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. Eventually, the Nuggets were able to jump out to a 15-point lead, and it looked as though the odds would rise even further.
Slowly but surely, the Heat chipped away. They were able to erase the double-digit deficit during the 4th quarter, thanks to a balanced effort from their entire rotation. Gabe Vincent led the attack and finished the game with a team-high 23 points, but the other scorers weren’t far behind. Bam Adebayo was effective on both ends of the floor, and finished with 21 points. Jimmy Butler added 21 of his own, a handful of which came during the critical run late in the game.
Now that the Heat have stolen home court advantage and evened the series at 1-1, the overall odds on the series have shortened significantly. According to BetOnline.ag, Miami now has a designation of +230, their best of the series and best championships that they’ve enjoyed thus far on their unprecedented run.
While the line on the series took a drastic turn in the second half of Game 2, the Heat are still considered wide underdogs. But they will play their next two games at home, and it will be anyone’s series if they are able to take at least one in Miami.
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Courtesy : https://sportslens.com/news/miami-heat-win-game-2-close-betting-gap-in-nba-finals/