Denver Nuggets-Miami Heat, who will win the ring?

by Andrea Arcuri31. Maggio 2023

The first final in the history of the Denver Nuggets, the seventh (with 3 titles) for the Miami Heat: the last act of the 2022-23 NBA season is an unprecedented but certainly spectacular, with Nikola Jokic and Jimmy Butler.

Final NBA 2022/23: the odds between Denver and Miami

In the classic NBA betting predictions on the eve of the season, probably very few had thought of one finale tra Denver Nuggets e Miami Heat. The Colorado franchise was a favorite in the Western Conference, but in the US professional league, tradition matters, and if you’ve never reached a Finals in your 46-year tenure in the NBA, then you’re struggling to find credibility.

On the other hand there were many teams that started ahead of the Miami Heat on the eve: Milwaukee, Boston and Philadelphia above all, but in the end the team coached by Erik Spoelstra surprised everyone, deserving the Eastern Conference title and therefore the chance to play for the ring. According to Eurobet* traders, the final starts rather unbalanced with Denver is the clear favorite at 1.26 and Miami at 3.60.

Going into the details of the odds, it turns out that the result considered most probable is 4-1 Denver, given at 3.20. Followed by 4-3 at 4.00 and 4-2 at 5.25. The lowest odds for a hit for Miami is 9.00 rated at 2-4. In the Finals MVP race, the fight is between Nikola Jokic (1,35) e Jimmy Butler (4,25).

Nikola Jokic vs Jimmy Butler: phenomena in comparison

Anyone who knows the NBA knows that it is a league that aims to give a chance in turn for all teams, with the choice system. There are first choices that have made history like those of Lebron James, others with much less impact, and then there are the surprises. Nikola Jokic, for example, drafted as No. 41 in the 2014 Draft.

Not even the Denver Nuggets imagined that second-round pick would change the history of the franchise. The Serbian center has been the MVP of the last two seasons and is now fighting for his first NBA title. But on the other side there will be the complete opposite of a predestined: Let’s talk about Jimmy Butler30th pick (by the Chicago Bulls) in the 2011 Draft.

Today Butler is the leader of Miami, already led to the Finals in 2020. The current Heat have well 5 players never drafted or dropped from the NBA, to whom however Spoelstra gave confidence and motivation. On the other hand, coach Michael Malone has built a beautiful and entertaining team around Nikola Jokic, which has a lethal scorer in Jamal Murray. It will be an unmissable final.

*Quotes subject to change