NBA Finals Betting Odds, Preview, Picks | Cheat Sheet for Heat vs. Nuggets

The 2023 NBA Finals tip Thursday at 8:30 p.m. ET with the Denver Nuggets making their debut on the championship stage against the history making Miami Heat.

How unlikely was this matchup, you ask? FanDuel had the matchup listed at 100-1 at the NBA All-Star break. Now here we are waiting to see which team will make history; either the Nuggets will win their first championship in franchise history, or the Heat will be the first No. 8 seed to do so.

Game spreads, totals, player props, series spreads, first baskets. There's something for everyone, and our NBA staff has (almost) every bet covered. Consider this your one-stop shop for everything you'll need for the NBA Finals

NBA Finals Game 1 Odds & Picks

If the playoffs have taught us anything, it's that Game 1s are anything but predictable, especially if the Heat are involved. Action's NBA staff has best bets, player props for series opening game of the 2023 NBA Finals. Check out their previews and picks below.

• 5 Best Bets for Game 1
• Anderson's Finals Betting Card

• Heat vs. Nuggets Game 1 Preview: How to Bet Joker vs. Jimmy — Jim Turvey
• Chris Raybon’s Expert Picks for Heat vs. Nuggets Game 1 — Chris Raybon
• NBA Finals PRO: Where Big Bets Are Landing for Heat vs. Nuggets — PJ Walsh
• NBA Finals Same Game Parlay: 3 Angles for Heat vs. Nuggets Game 1 — Prop Bomb
• NBA Finals Player Prop: How to Bet Jimmy Butler — PropBetGuy
• NBA Finals Player Props: Target 2 Stars in Game 1 — Munaf Manji
• NBA PrizePicks Plays: Denver's Role Players Are Key — Munaf Manji
• NBA First Basket Props: 2 Picks for Game 1 — NBA First Basket

How to Bet Both Teams in the NBA Finals

• • • How to Bet Denver in the Finals
    • How to Bet Miami in the Finals

NBA Finals Betting Analysis

Our analysts got their bets in early with half of the matchup set for nearly a week before the start of the NBA Finals. Brandon Anderson, Matt Moore and Joe Dellera offer up the the picks they made right away plus early analysis on the series and trends on rest vs rust in the Finals.

• • • Finals Bets We Made Immediately
    • Anderson's Series Analysis
    • Rest vs. Rust Trends

NBA Finals Notes, Stats and Trends

Action Network's resident researcher Evan Abrams did a deep dive into all things NBA Finals using tools from Bet Labs and historical trends.

Action Network’s NBA Finals Primer

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NBA Finals Props Strategies

For those of you looking for props — let's be honest, everyone is looking to bet props in the playoffs — Joe Dellera has a props forecast breaking down the key prop bets he's making for the NBA Finals series. Plus, our staff gives out 13 more series props they like ahead of Heat vs Nuggets.

• • NBA Finals Props Forecast
  • Every Prop We Bet for the Series

NBA Finals MVP Odds & Analysis

Odds as of Monday, June 1 and via BetMGM.

Last season it was Stephen Curry who rose to the occasion and won NBA Finals MVP. This season, Jokic is in the driver's seat to land the Bill Russell Trophy at -350 ahead of Game 1.

Jokic's current NBA Finals MVP price is the highest for any player over the past 20 years. Only two other players have been -200 over that span: Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.

2023 NBA Finals MVP Odds

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What History Says About Finals MVP

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Other NBA Playoffs Betting Coverage

• The 17 Most Important Players in Heat vs. Nuggets
• NBA Finals Debuts Often End in Losses. The Denver Nuggets Are Different.
• Nikola Jokic Is on a Playoff Run for the Ages — Now He Has to Finish the Job
• How the Nuggets Finally Climbed the Western Conference Mountain