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On Thursday night, the NBA Finals will tip off. After a long postseason, the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat have each earned the right to see who will be crowned this year's champion.
With a few days leading up to the start of the NBA Finals, may have begun to weigh in with their thoughts. ESPN's analytics team also put together the odds of this matchup, and it is heavily one-sided. Heading into Game 1, the Denver Nuggets have a 89% chance of walking away with the title this year.
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Many factors go into this, one of the main ones being seeding. The Denver Nuggets dominated the regular season, and it resulted in them getting the No. 1 seed. Meanwhile, the Miami Heat had to battle through the play-in tournament to secure the final spot in the East.
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Rest is also another factor that could play a part in this series. Nikola Jokic and company were able to defeat the Lakers in four games to earn their spot in the finals. Because of this, they've had extended time to rest and recover as the Heat and Boston Celtics went all the way to seven games.
Despite what the odds might say, Miami should not be overlooked in this series. They've been the underdogs all playoffs, but that hasn't stopped them from going on this historic run.
What are the betting odds for the NBA Finals?
The betting odds for the NBA Finals draw similarities to the percentage odds that ESPN put out. As expected, the Denver Nuggets are heavily favored as the series gets ready to begin.
Right now, the Nuggets sit at -400 to win the finals. The Miami Heat are a big underdog at +310 odds.
Looking at the odds of just Game 1, the Nuggets open as eight and-a-half point favorites (-110). Their moneyline odds also sit at -360. Miami is once again a value pick for the opening matchup with their moneyline odds at +295.
According to ESPN, Nikola Jokic has the best odds at being named Finals MVP at -330. Next up is Jimmy Butler at +340 odds. As two of the top performers this postseason, it's no surprise that these two have the two highest odds of taking home the hardware.
