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204

Miami Heat Championship Odds Now +390 After Advancing to Eastern Conference Finals

Eric Rosales

by Eric Rosales in NBA Basketball

Updated Mar 8, 2021 · 11:49 AM PST

Jimmy Butler at the ESPYS
Jimmy Butler could be on the move again. Photo by Disney | ABC Television (flickr) [CC License]
  • The Miami Heat are into the Eastern Conference Final after beating the Milwaukee Bucks
  • Miami’s NBA Championship odds have improved to +390
  • Read below to see if we think you should wager on the Heat

They’ve gone from deer hunters to legitimate title contenders.

The Miami Heat beat the Milwaukee Bucks 103-94 Tuesday night, wrapping up their Round 2 NBA Playoff series in five games, sending the franchise to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2014.

A dark horse no more, the Heat have climbed the NBA Championship odds, just behind the two LA squads.

2020 NBA Championship Odds

Team Odds at FanDuel
Los Angeles Clippers +185
Los Angeles Lakers +300
Miami Heat +390
Boston Celtics +500
Houston Rockets +1200
Toronto Raptors +1600
Denver Nuggets +6500

*Odds taken September 8th

Is now the time to make a title wager on them? Or should you wait out how they fare against the Raptors/Celtics survivor?

Miami Is No-Nonsense

Even if soon-to-be two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo injured his ankle in Game 3, left Game 4 early and eventually missed Game 5, the Heat had already turned this series into their type of basketball.

Simply put, the Heat grind out games on defense, use a deep roster to generate offense, and rely on all-star Jimmy Butler to take them home in the clutch.

In their closeout Game 5 win, all of that was on display. The Heat stifled Milwaukee’s offense, holding them to 37.1% shooting from the field, and 9-for-32 from three-point range.

Offensively, no Heat player topped 20 points, but six finished in double figures. And while Butler didn’t need to be the extreme closer he has been in other games this series, he went 4-for-4 from the stripe in the fourth quarter to douse any potential Bucks runs.

It’s the first time a 5-seed has made the conference finals since 2013’s Memphis Grizzlies, but don’t let their seeding fool you. This Heat style can be replicated against any opponent without any major adjustments needed.

Miami’s Run To Title Favorite

Have a look at the Heat’s march to the NBA’s final four. After the Finals ended last year, you needed a microscope to see them in the title galaxy, checking in at +30000 odds.

The offseason acquisition of Butler brought them down to the +4000 range . But they haven’t really caught oddsmakers’ eyes until this latest run. As late as August 1, they had an average of +3300 odds, and not until they had shown they could beat Milwaukee did they finally dip under +1000.

Offensively, the Heat are the third-best shooting team from three-point range left in the bubble at 38% and fourth overall from the field at 46.1%. They have the fourth best defensive rating, while ranking second in points allowed per game, trailing only the Celtics.

While their defensive stats don’t jump out at you — they rank fifth out of seven teams left in both field goal and three-point defense — their best trait is their ability to make everything difficult for the opponent.

That eventually wears the opposition down — Miami opponents are shooting 37.1% from the field and 31.1% in the fourth quarter of the playoffs, and they surrender the fewest fourth quarter points of any team at 22.7.

Should You Bet The Heat?

They don’t have the outright star power of the Lakers or the Clippers, but with a cast of grizzled vets and upstart youngsters, they feature the deepest team left in the playoffs.

They have arguably the most confident all-star left in the playoffs not named LeBron of Kawhi in Butler. They have an ultra-talented big man in Bam Adebayo, plenty of playmaking and a plethora of 3-and-D wings that can dig in and create stops.

You don’t need to wait to find out who they face in the East Finals, as I believe they will be the favorites against whoever survives. Even if they will be the underdog against either LA team, their style of play make them the toughest out left in the playoffs. Be confident in a Heat wager.

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