The 2023 NBA Playoffs roll along with second round matchups beginning this weekend. The first conference semifinal series begins in the Western Conference when the Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns tip off on Saturday, but the Eastern Conference takes the stage beginning on Sunday afternoon. The No. 5 seed New York Knicks take on the No. 8 seed Miami Heat in a wildly unexpected clash between tough-minded squads. Game 1 arrives at 1:00 pm ET on Sunday at Madison Square Garden.

New York stunningly enters the second round as the betting favorite with home-court advantage after a mild upset over the Cleveland Cavaliers in round one. The Knicks' victory was not as shocking as what transpired in the series between Miami and the Milwaukee Bucks, but New York demolished Cleveland in five games. That was a strong follow-up to an encouraging regular season for New York, as the Knicks won 47 games and rode a breakout offense to success. The Knicks do enter the series with some uncertainty, though, as star forward Julius Randle left a Game 5 win after aggravating an ankle injury.

Miami pulled off the biggest upset of the first round behind the work of Jimmy Butler. The Heat entered the playoffs as the No. 7 team in the Eastern Conference before losing a home play-in game to the Atlanta Hawks and needing a comeback to beat the Chicago Bulls to make the eight-team bracket. Miami then rode Butler's brilliance to a five-game win over the top-seeded Bucks, with the Heat erasing a 16-point fourth quarter deficit in Game 5 on Wednesday. The Heat finished the regular season at 44-38, though Miami brings a wealth of experience after multiple deep playoff runs with Butler, Bam Adebayo, and head coach Erik Spoelstra.

Below, we'll dive into the series from every angle, including a pick on the winner and a best bet on the series. As the seven-game battle begins, the Knicks are -155 favorites ($155 to win $100) at Caesars Sportsbook, with the Heat listed at +130 ($100 to win $130) to pull the upset. New York is +575 to win the Eastern Conference this season and +1800 to win the 2023 NBA title. Miami is listed at +850 to win the East and +3300 to win the title.

Heat vs. Knicks full series odds

• Series winner: Knicks -155 | Heat +130
  
• Series handicap: Knicks -1.5 games (+135) | Heat +1.5 games (-165)
• Series alternate handicap: Heat -1.5 games (+220) | Knicks +1.5 games (-280)
• Total number of games: Seven (+190) | Six (+190) | Five (+300) | Four (+650)
• Exact finish: Knicks in 7 (+325) | Heat in 6 (+450) | Knicks in 6 (+450) | Knicks in 5 (+450) | Heat in 7 (+600) | Knicks in 4 (+1000) | Heat in 5 (+1000) | Heat in 4 (+1800)

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