Miami Becomes Fifth 8 Seed In History to Reach Conference Semis | Heat vs Knicks| OSB
Miami Heat at New York Knicks: Conference Semifinals, Game 1 Prediction, Player Props, & Betting Tips
By Sam Batz
The Eastern Conference Semifinals tip-off on Sunday, April 30th with the No. 5 seed New York Knicks hosting the No. 8 seed Miami Heat (1:00 PM EST, ABC/ESPN 2). The Knicks took down the No. 4 seed Cleveland Cavaliers 4-1 in the First Round, shocking the Cavs who were favored to reach the Conference Semis. In an even bigger upset, the Miami Heat defeated the No. 1 seed Milwaukee Bucks in 5 games (4-1 series win), shocking the NBA and eliminating the heavily favored Bucks. The Heat are +4.5 point underdogs with a moneyline priced at +160 for Game 1 against New York. The Knicks are -4.5 point favorites with a moneyline priced at -190 for their Second Round opener in Madison Square Garden.
The Miami Heat (+4.5; ML +160)
The “White Hot” Heat will be sporting new, all white uniforms for Game 1 in MSG, and man do they deserve it. After shocking the Milwaukee Bucks and becoming the 5th No. 8 seed in history to take down a No. 1 seed, Miami is cooking with fire! Jimmy Butler put together some absolutely brilliant performances in the First Round, and is with a doubt the Heat’s main source of fuel. According to FiveThirtyEight, this series is going to be a good one, with Miami having a 49% chance to qualify for the Conference Finals. The Heat have found their groove, and as the highest scoring team coming out of the First Round, Miami is looking to shock the world all over again.
The New York Knicks (-4.5; ML -190)
The Knicks took care of the Cavaliers in 5 games, and made it look easy due to their impenetrable, lock-down defense that limited the Cavs to just 94.2 points per game. The Knicks face the hottest offense in the NBA in the next round, but New York is hoping their disciplined, high pressure defense will bring the Heat back down to Earth. If the Knicks can’t stop Miami with their defense, then they are in serious trouble. New York averaged just 99.6 points per game, shot a below average 43.0% from the field, and were a horrendous 28.2% from the 3-point line. New York needs to be better offensively if they want to make it past Miami.
Heat vs. Knicks: Game 1 Odds
Team | Current Spread | Current Total | Opening Moneyline |
Miami Heat | +4.5 (-110) | Ov 207.5 (-110) | +160 |
New York Knicks | -4.5 (-110) | Un 207.5 (-110) | -190 |
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Heat vs. Knicks: First Round Playoff Stats
No. 8 Miami Heat (4-1) 124.0 (1st) 118.8 (13th) 51.9 (1st) 45.0 (1st) 119.0 (2nd) 114.2 (9th) 2-0 (100.0%) 2-1 (66.7%) | Stat Type Points/Game Opponent Points/Game Field Goal % Three-Point % Offensive Rating Defensive Rating Home Record (Win-Rate) Away Record (Win-Rate) | No. 5 New York Knicks (4-1) 99.6 (14th) 94.2 (2nd) 43.0 (15th) 28.2 (16th) 107.3 (13th) 101.9 (1st) 2-0 (100.0%) 2-1 (66.7%) |
Heat vs. Knicks: Betting Trends (Regular + Postseason)
Miami Heat 35-51-3 18-25-1 (Away) 23-34-2 (vs. East) 45-43-1 5-0 8-16 (as Underdogs) 6-13 (Underdogs – Away) 4-1 (Playoff Underdogs) | Betting Trend ATS (Season) ATS (Home/Away) ATS (Conference) O/U (Season) O/U (Playoffs) ML (Favorite/Underdog) ML (Home/Away) ML (Playoffs) | New York Knicks 49-36-2 21-21-1 (Home) 33-23-1 (vs. East) 44-42-1 0-5 27-14 (as Favorites) 18-12 (Favorites – Home) 2-0 (Playoff Favorites) |
Heat vs. Knicks: Player Props
Kevin Love (Heat Power Forward): Over 6.5 Rebounds (+105)
Kevin Love has been a welcome addition to the Miami Heat. He is averaging 21.8 minutes per game in the playoffs, but has made the most of his time on the floor. Love has always been a rebounding machine, averaging 7.4 boards per game. Love averaged 5.2 rebounds in 6 games against the Knicks this season, but only went under 6.5 rebounds in 1 game in the First Round. I predict Kevin Love will go over 6.5 rebounds on Sunday.
Jalen Brunson (Knicks Point Guard): Over 23.5 Points (-125)
Brunson has been the offensive spark the Knicks needed. He is the only player on the Knicks to average 20+ points per game in the First Round. He now faces a Miami defense giving up 118.8 points per game. Brunson knows his side’s offense needs to improve this round, and it starts with him. I predict Jalen Brunson will go over 23.5 points in Game 1 against the Heat.
Heat vs. Knicks Game 1 Prediction
Take the Miami Heat to win Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Heat are not the typical No. 8 seed. They are playing phenomenal basketball, especially on the offensive end of the court. Miami averaged the fewest points per game during the regular season (109.5) but they have exploded in the postseason, and are now the highest scoring team in the playoffs. The Knicks played impressive defense against the Cavs in the First Round, and will certainly do better than Milwaukee did against Miami, but in an offensive versus defensive showdown, I’ll take the offense.
Prediction: Miami Heat Moneyline (+160)
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