For some teams, 82 games wasn't enough to decide playoff positioning, with play-in action capturing the attention of the NBA world this week. For others, top-six seeds were secured in the normal balance of the regular season. The 2023 NBA Playoffs begin in earnest over the weekend with eight first-round series kicking off. On Sunday, both No. 1 seeds begin their playoff journeys, including an early evening matchup featuring the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference. 

Milwaukee posted the best record in the NBA this season, winning 58 games. The Bucks secured home-court advantage throughout the playoffs as a result, the third such performance from Milwaukee in the last five seasons. Milwaukee is led by perennial MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo and a sterling defense. The Bucks also have the benefit of a sizable rest edge against an opponent that needed two play-in games to advance. 

The Bucks will face the Miami Heat on Sunday at 5:30 p.m. ET. Miami reached the conference finals in two of the last three seasons, though the Heat became the first No. 7 seed in play-in history to lose its first game, falling to the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday. The Heat then beat the Chicago Bulls at home on Friday, executing a comeback in the final minutes behind Jimmy Butler and Max Strus. 

As the seven-game matchup gets underway, the Bucks are -1100 favorites ($1100 to win $100) at Caesars Sportsbook, with the Heat listed at +700 ($100 to win $700) to advance. Milwaukee is +120 to win the Eastern Conference this season and +270 to win the 2023 NBA championship. Miami is listed at +6000 to win the East and +15000 to win the championship.

Full series odds

• Series winner: Bucks -1100 | Heat +700
  
• Series handicap: Bucks -2.5 games (-170) | Heat +2.5 games (+135)
• Series alternate handicap: Bucks -1.5 games (-400) | Heat +1.5 games (+300)
• Total number of games: Five (+195) | Four (+250) | Six (+300) | Seven (+375)
• Exact finish: Bucks in 5 (+180) | Bucks in 4 (+250) | Bucks in 6 (+375) | Bucks in 7 (+425) | Heat in 6 (+1500) | Heat in 7 (+1600) | Heat in 5 (+5000) | Heat in 4 (+10000)

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