Nuggets vs. Heat odds, prediction, time: 2023 NBA Finals Game 2 ...

The Denver Nuggets will look to move one step closer to their first-ever NBA championship when they face the Miami Heat in Game 2 of the 2023 NBA Finals. The Nuggets started fast in Game 1 on Thursday, building a 17-point halftime advantage and stretching that to 21 entering the fourth quarter, before settling on a 104-93 victory. The Heat (44-38), who were pushed to seven games in the Eastern Conference finals by the Boston Celtics, were on just three days of rest between series. The Nuggets (53-29), meanwhile, had more than a week off after having dispatched the Lakers in four games. Denver has won all three meetings with Miami this season.

Tip-off from Ball Arena in Denver is set for 8 p.m. ET on Sunday. The Nuggets are 8.5-point favorites in the latest Heat vs. Nuggets odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is 216. Before making any Nuggets vs. Heat picks, make sure you check out what proven SportsLine NBA expert Larry Hartstein has to say.

A former lead writer for Covers and The Linemakers, Hartstein combines a vast network of Vegas sources with an analytical approach. He excels in the NBA, especially when picking Denver Nuggets games. Over the past 98 Denver matchups, he is 58-37-3 against the spread, returning $1,735 for $100 players. 

Now, Hartstein has set his sights on Heat vs. Nuggets and just locked in his picks and 2023 NBA Finals predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see Hartstein's picks. Here are the NBA lines and trends for Nuggets vs. Heat:

Nuggets vs. Heat spread: Nuggets -8.5Nuggets vs. Heat over/under: 216 points Nuggets vs. Heat money line: Heat +285, Nuggets -365MIA: The Heat are 22-16 ATS this season as underdogsDEN: The Nuggets are 31-18-1 ATS at home this season Nuggets vs. Heat picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why the Nuggets can cover 

Denver's offense centers around Nikola Jokic, a former MVP and an MVP finalist this year. The dynamic center from Serbia has registered nine triple-doubles during the postseason, including six in the past seven games. In the Game 1 win over Miami, he finished with 27 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds. He had been dominant in the Game 4 close-out win over the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference finals, scoring 30 points and adding 14 rebounds, 13 assists and three blocks.

Small forward Michael Porter Jr. posted his third consecutive double-double of the playoffs on Thursday, scoring 14 points and grabbing 13 rebounds in the win over Miami. He also had two blocks. He had posted three double-doubles in the four-game series against the Lakers. He has posted seven double-doubles this postseason. In 16 playoff games, Porter is averaging 14.6 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists. See which team to pick here.

Why the Heat can cover

Small forward Jimmy Butler knows Miami can get right back in the series with a win, and he's been the team's catalyst this postseason. In 18 games, he is averaging 27.6 points, seven rebounds, 5.8 assists and two steals per game. He will look to bounce back from a playoff-low 13 points in Game 1. He has registered four double-doubles this postseason and is very capable of putting up points. He scored a playoff-high 56 in a Game 4 first-round win over top-seeded Milwaukee on April 24, and had 42 in the decisive Game 5 overtime win over the Bucks on April 26 in Milwaukee.

Center Bam Adebayo has proven his dominance throughout the playoffs, and has posted three consecutive double-doubles. In the Game 1 loss to Denver, he poured in 26 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to go along with five assists. Against Boston in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals, Adebayo scored 11 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. He then followed that up with 12 points and 10 rebounds in Game 7. In 19 postseason games, he is averaging 17.3 points, 9.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists. See which team to pick here.

How to make Heat vs. Nuggets picks

Hartstein is leaning Over on the point total, and he has identified a critical X-factor he says makes one side of the spread a must-back. You can find out what it is, and see which side of the Nuggets vs. Heat spread to back, at SportsLine.

Who wins Heat vs. Nuggets, and what critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Heat vs. Nuggets spread you need to jump on Sunday, all from the expert who has returned over $1,700 to $100 players over his last 98 Denver Nuggets picks, and find out.