NBA Finals: Nuggets vs. Heat Game 4 Preview, Odds, Lines, Prediction, Picks

The Denver Nuggets and the Miami Heat are entering Game 4 of the NBA Finals. Currently, the Nuggets lead 2-1 in the series and are coming off a win in Game 3 which took place on Wednesday night in Miami. They would quickly respond to the loss in Game 2 when Heat took away their home-court edge and also took the momentum from the Nuggets. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray had a historic night in Florida, both posting 30+ point triple-doubles, leading their team to the second win in this series. The ball is in Miami’s backyard now, and we expect to see their reaction.

• Nuggets Odds -165
• Heat Odds +140
• Spread Nuggets -3
• Over/Under 210.5

Preview

Denver Nuggets (-165) had two players with 30+ points triple-double, which is something that hadn’t happened before. Both Jokic and Murray were unstoppable, and when these two guys hit full speed, the opposite team has nothing to hope for.

The Nuggets kept the same pace from the start until the end, with the Heat crashing following the break once the guests pulled away and, after that, routinely closed the game. Denver was controlling the glass, having 58 boards, 25 more than the hosts, who were muscled out under the rim.

Jokic had 32 points, 21 rebounds, and 10 assists, while Murray scored 34 buckets with 10 rebounds and assists. They were literally all over the place, playing the game like just a few duos in the past have. Christian Braun scored 15 points in 19 minutes off the bench, making all of his two-pointers, while Aaron Gordon had 11 points and ten boards. 

Miami Heat (+140) suffered a nasty defeat, and they are under heavy pressure to win Game 4. It is the crucial game for them in these playoffs, and we’ll see how they handle all the stress. In Game 3, they simply didn’t have enough power to compete with the guests, who were physically stronger in every position.

Bam Adebayo played a very good game, having 22 points and 17 boards, but his shooting percentages weren’t that high, 7-for-21. Jimmy Butler scored 28 points, yet he didn’t do anything but that, having just two boards and hitting one three. Downtown shooting has been a problem for the Heat, who made 11 threes in 35 shots.

Gabe Vincent and Max Strus were 2-for-10 from behind the arc, and that was a great blow for Spoelstra’s unit, with these two guys combining for 10 points. Caleb Martin added 10 buckets off the bench, and that was it from the Heat. 

Head to Head Games

The Nuggets were better in Game 1, 104-93, but the Heat responded in Game 2, 111-108. Game 3 saw the Nuggets restoring their home-court edge with a 109-93 victory.

Prediction

The Nuggets were better than the Heat last night, and we believe Joker and the boys will once again win and prove themselves worthy of the NBA title. They are more physical than the Heat, who doesn’t have an answer to this problem. Jokic and the rest of the frontcourt is simply much longer and more athletic. The spread on the guests is three points, which isn’t high, and we are going to take it. The odds are, of course, -110.

Pick: Nuggets -3 -110