Home » Denver Nuggets VS Miami Heat | 2023 NBA Finals Projection, Prediction, and Schedules

Denver Nuggets VS Miami Heat | 2023 NBA Finals Projection, Prediction, and Schedules

2023 NBA Finals

The biggest stage in the NBA is set! The last two teams left standing in the 2023 Playoffs will be going at each other for an intense final match to win it all and capture the elusive NBA championship. Representing the West is no other than the 1st-seeded Denver Nuggets going up against the 8th-seeded Miami Heat in the 2023 NBA Finals. Let’s take a look at this amazing matchup’s projection, prediction, and upcoming schedules in this thrilling and climactic final series.

The Miami Heat, led by Jimmy Butler, definitely overachieved this season. They finished the regular season as the 8th seed but still battled in the Play-In tournament to secure a spot in the playoffs. On the other hand, the Denver Nuggets, helmed by two-time MVP Nikola Jokic, have been the favorites since the beginning. With the Heat defying all odds, it will be a matchup that the Nuggets must overcome.

Denver Nuggets VS Miami Heat: Odds and Prediction

As the favorites to be this year’s champions, the Denver Nuggets are heavily favored compared to the Miami Heat. Below is a table of odds made by various sporting websites.

FOX Sports Sporting News Draft Kings Nation
Denver Nuggets -400 -400 -350
Miami Heat +290 +300 +280

 

Almost everybody is picking the Nuggets to win this series in six or even games. These are just a few of the website tuning into the Nuggets-Heat matchup, but if you look everywhere, you will see a similar result. In addition to that, according to FiveThirtyEight, the Nuggets have a 73% chance of winning the championship, while the Heat only has 27%. But we seem to forget that Miami only had a 3% chance of winning the Eastern Conference Finals against the Celtics, yet here they are. That 27% is big enough for them to make history to become the first 8th-seeded team to win a championship.

Everywhere you go, the projected 2023 champions are the Denver Nuggets

As expected, the Nuggets are going to be on the top of that list. Nobody can seem to stop the two-time MVP Nikola Jokic and playoff-mode Jamal Murray. Plus, this team got great pieces like Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Christian Braun, Bruce Brown Jr., and many others. With everyone on this squad fully healthy, it will be a tough assignment for the Miami Heat.

In the West, nobody can guard the Jokic and Murray duo. They had it easy against the Timberwolves in the first round despite them having the three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert and All-Stars like Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards. In the semifinal round, the Nuggets held the Phoenix Suns superteam of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Chris Paul, and DeAndre Ayton to six games. Then the Conference Finals came. Even with Anthony Davis‘ outstanding performances, the Los Angeles Lakers were easily swept in that round. Now, Nikola Jokic brings Denver to their first-ever Finals appearance.

Despite it all, the Miami Heat can give the Denver Nuggets a run for their money

Jokic may have broken the curse in Denver, but Jimmy Butler made history by leading the Miami Heat to become the first play-in team to reach the NBA Finals. They were already written off in the script, but the Heat pursued. They overachieved and upset a lot of championship contenders like the Milwaukee Bucks (1st round), New York Knicks (2nd round), and the Boston Celtics (Conference Finals).

Truthfully, this team isn’t even the best out there. Miami is a team filled with extremely talented players who, as we all know, were undrafted players. Caleb Martin, Duncan Robinson, Max Strus, and Gabe Vincent were the X-factors why this team is making the impossible. After beating a 1st-seeded Bucks in the first round, it doesn’t seem impossible for the Heat to beat the Nuggets in the Finals. Although Jokic has a better and well-rounded roster, we can’t really count Miami out. If “Himmy” Butler or playoff Jimmy unleashes his inner Michael Jordan-esque performance, it could be game over for Denver.

2023 NBA Finals Schedule

The Denver Nuggets are well rested after sweeping the Lakers. On the other hand, the Miami Heat are now traveling to Denver for games 1 and 2. Below is the list of schedules from games 1 through 7.

  • Game 1: Heat at Nuggets, June 1
  • Game 2: Heat at Nuggets, June 4
  • Game 3: Nuggets at Heat, June 7
  • Game 4: Nuggets at Heat, June 9
  • Game 5: Heat at Nuggets, June 12 *
  • Game 6: Nuggets at Heat, June 15 *
  • Game 7: Heat at Nuggets, June 18 *

* – means if necessary


Who will be named the 2023 NBA Champions? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below. For more content, stay with us here at Spiel Times. Make sure you subscribe to our push notifications and never miss an update. You can also follow us on Spiel AnimeTwitterInstagram, and YouTube. Until next time!

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