Heat vs Knicks Series Odds, Spread & Props
- The Miami Heat and New York Knicks clash in Round 2 of the NBA Playoffs
- Miami knocked off the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in five games, while New York dusted Cleveland in five games
- Find the latest Heat vs Knicks series odds, betting discussion and picks below
What’s new is old again.
After the dust cleared from a wild Wednesday night of hoops, the New York Knicks will host the Miami Heat in Round 2 of the NBA Playoffs.
The Heat, who needed to win a second play-in game just to clinch the 8-seed in the East, knocked off the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in five games to shatter the East’s NBA playoff bracket.
New York needed just five games to upend the 4th-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers, making it to the second round for the first time since 2013.
The early NBA odds are calling for the guys from Gotham to find their way to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Heat vs Knicks Series Odds
| Team | Odds to Win Series | Series Spread |
|---|---|---|
| [8] Miami Heat | +120 | +1.5 games (-180) |
| [5] New York Knicks | -140 | -1.5 games (+150) |
Game 1 of this series goes Sunday (April 30) at 1pm ET in what should be a rocking Madison Square Garden.
Game 2 goes Tuesday (May 2), before the scene shifts to South Beach for Games 3 (May 6) and 4 (May 8). Times and TV providers have yet to be determined.
It’s the sixth series meeting between these teams, with New York holding a 3-2 all-time series edge.
Even after impressive performances to get here, these two teams are still inside the bottom-5 in the NBA Championship odds.
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Odds as of April 27 at DraftKings.
The Butler Did It To Milwaukee
He’s the NBA’s Grim Reaper, the one guy you don’t want to have to face when the stakes are this high.
Yes, Jimmy Butler is a great player. Playoff Jimmy? Well, that legend climbed to supernatural heights as the Heat became the first 8-seed to bounce a 1-seed since 2012.
Miami was staked to a 2-1 series lead, with Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo mostly out with a back injury. His return was supposed to tilt the odds back to Milwaukee. Instead, Butler went berserk.
His Game 4 performance in Miami is arguably the greatest single-game postseason performance in franchise history, when he went for 56 points and nine boards in a 119-114 win.
In the clincher, he dropped 42, eight boards and four assists, including one of the most incredible inbound-pass conversions you will ever see. It tied the game with 0.5 seconds left and send it to OT, where they prevailed 128-126.
Jimmy Butler.
Poetry.#PhantomCam pic.twitter.com/RbHtsm3kyL
— NBA (@NBA) April 27, 2023
Butler averaged 37.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.8 assists on a blistering 59.7% from the field and 44.4% from distance in five games.
How’s this for a turnaround? After finishing the year dead last in scoring, Miami is leading the postseason, dropping 124 points per game.
Heat vs Knicks Head-to-Head Playoff Stats
| 44-38 | Regular Season Record | 47-35 |
| 1 | Head-to-Head Wins | 3 |
| 124.0 (1st) | Points per Game | 99.6 (14th) |
| 118.8 (13th) | Points Against per Game | 94.2 (2nd) |
| 42.6 (12th) | Rebounds Per Game | 45.4 (6th) |
| 51.9% (1st) | Field Goal Shooting | 43.0% (15th) |
| 47.5% (12th) | Field Goal Shooting Defense | 44.9% (6th) |
| 45.0% (1st) | 3-Point Shooting | 28.2% (16th) |
| 37.9% (11th) | 3-Point Shooting Defense | 32.7% (6th) |
Knicks Grind Cavaliers Down
It’s as if New York was preparing for this showdown all along, as the Knicks put the Cleveland Cavaliers in a vice grip and never let up.
New York downed the Cavs 106-95 in Game 5 at Cleveland to wrap it up. In all four wins, they held Cleveland to 97 points or less.
As he did all season, Jalen Brunson showed out in his first postseason series as a Knick, averaging 24 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.8 assists, despite shooting just 43.7% from the field and 29% from distance.
Too tough, Jalen Brunson 😮💨
He's got 10 PTS on 4/4 FG so far in Game 5.
📺: NBA TV | NYK Leads 3-1 pic.twitter.com/tr8RJrqdHy
— NBA (@NBA) April 26, 2023
The biggest question mark for New York will be the status of all-star Julius Randle, who reaggravated an ankle injury and was forced to sit the second half.
After a slow start, Canadian RJ Barrett found his groove, going for 21 points, four rebounds and four assists in the clincher, a game after dropping a series-best 26 points, and two boards.
New York leads the playoffs in turnovers forced (15.8), and they lead in points off turnovers at 22.2 per game. Miami feasts on that as well, ranking second at 20.6.
Opening Heat vs Knicks Prediction
Plenty of in-game battles to watch out for. Miami is first in three-point shooting so far in the playoffs, while the Knicks are dead last. Can Barrett and Josh Hart contain Butler?
And how do the undersized Heat handle New York’s size?
The Knicks are the top offensive rebounding team in the postseason, averaging a whopping 15 per contest. On the other end, the Knicks are stingy inside, allowing 43.2 paint points per game, second to only Philadelphia.
Both are distant contenders in the NBA Conference odds, taking a back seat to both the Celtics and 76ers.
As much as tempo matters — New York has the 3rd-slowest pace in the postseason, while the Heat are tied for fifth — the Heat can play both styles.
And after what we just witnessed in Milwaukee, going against Butler is a tough bet, so a series win for Miami with plus odds(+120) is looking pretty good right now.
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Having worked in and around sports since 1997, Eric is truly a knowledgeable expert. The two-time journalism grad specializes in all things NBA and NFL. From TSN.ca to CTV's Olympic Broadcast Consortium, Eric's work has appeared in local and national publications alike.
