The 2023 NBA Finals open Thursday night when the Denver Nuggets host the Miami Heat in Game 1. The Nuggets swept the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference finals to advance to their first-ever NBA Finals. Meanwhile, Miami outlasted the Boston Celtics in a grueling seven-game series. The Nuggets are favored by 9 points in the latest Heat vs. Nuggets odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under is 218.5

The game at Ball Arena in Denver will tip off at 8:30 p.m. ET. Before making any Heat vs. Nuggets picks or any other NBA predictions, you NEED to see which side Matt Severance is on. 

Severance is a well-connected writer and handicapper who has worked in the industry since 2005. He is Sportsline's top NBA expert, entering this matchup with a sizzling 106-55-1 (+3599) roll on his picks! Anybody following him has seen HUGE returns.

Now, he has set his sights on Game 1 of Heat vs. Nuggets and locked in his picks.

The expert knows Denver center Nikola Jokic is an elite, all-around playmaker. Jokic has outstanding court vision as a passer and thrives on the glass. The five-time All-Star is leading the team in points (29.9), rebounds (13.3) and assists (10.3). Jokic recorded a triple-double in three outings during the Western Conference Finals. In Game 4, he totaled 30 points, 14 boards and 13 assists.

The expert also knows Miami forward Jimmy Butler has been sensational throughout the postseason. Butler does a great job creating space from defenders and uses his strength to absorb contact at the rim. The Marquette product is first on the team in points (28.5), assists (5.7) and steals (2.1). In Game 7 against the Celtics, Butler had 28 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

Now, Severance has locked in another confident against the spread pick for Heat vs. Nuggets. We can tell you he's leaning Under on the point total, but he knows a crucial X-factor makes one side of the spread a MUST-BACK! You ABSOLUTELY need to see what it is before locking in any picks of your own.

So who wins Heat vs. Nuggets? And which critical X-factor makes one side of the spread hit HARD? Join SportsLine now to get Matt Severance's Heat vs. Nuggets picks, all from the top NBA expert on a 106-55 roll!