Heat vs. Cavaliers Predictions, Picks & Odds: NBA Playoffs Game 2, Today 4/23
As was expected, the Cleveland Cavaliers came away with a rather smooth Game 1 victory over the Miami Heat back on Sunday night. It’s now time to get set for tonight’s Game 2, and as the middle of the tripleheader, we’ll get you ready for it with our best Heat vs. Cavaliers predictions.
Better yet, we’ll also tack on a guaranteed Novig promo code bonus to take full advantage of the best bet from our Heat vs. Cavaliers picks!
Heat vs. Cavaliers Predictions For Tonight NBA Playoffs Game 2, 4/23
Just prior to the former Miami Heat superstar led the Golden State Warriors to a Game 1 victory, fans in South Beach were wishing that playoff Jimmy was back. It wasn’t quite the 51-point bludgeoning that the Oklahoma City Thunder put on the Memphis Grizzlies, but the Cavs still controlled Game 1 from the opening tip.
After holding the Heat to just a single basket in the final six minutes of the first quarter, Cleveland held a seven-point lead and never looked back. If the Heat want to steal Game 2 before heading home to Miami, they’re going to need to get off to a fast start.
The Cavs fans inside Rocket Arena were absolutely shooting to the moon seemingly every time Donovan Mitchell even touched the ball. Along with leaving points on the board with missed free throws, Miami has plenty to clean up for those looking to back them with their Heat vs. Cavaliers picks.
Miami Heat: Bam Adebayo Gets Bottled Up
Several of those aforementioned missed free throws came by the hands of Bam Adebayo. Even with that being the case, he’s still the star that the Heat are going to rely on to carry them in this series, which is why the Cavs made a concerted effort to shut him down.
Seeing a guy go for 24 points and nine rebounds isn’t exactly completely shutting him down, but it’s enough that Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen should be pleased with their decision to put virtually their sole focus on him. When Bam Adebayo faced the Cavs a little over a month ago, he went off for 34 points and 12 rebounds.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Banking On The Bench
As mentioned, Sunday night felt all about Donovan Mitchell, and rightfully so. While his 30 points were only three more than fellow guard Darius Garland, something about the timing and his reactions to shots made his contribution seem more electric. All that said, we saw a Sixth Man of the Year type of performance as well.
That came by way of Ty Jerome, who ended up scoring even more than Garland! He finished the game with an impressive 28 points in just 26 minutes, which was more than any Miami Heat player. While Boston Celtics’ Payton Pritchard will likely win the award, it was still an incredible bench performance from Ty Jerome.
Heat vs. Cavaliers Odds, Spreads, Total & Betting Lines
As we saw in Game 1, the Heat vs. Cavaliers odds at Novig Social Sportsbook for Game 2 have Cleveland as massive favorites:
- Point Spread: Miami Heat +11.5 (-112) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers -11.5 (-114)
- Money Line: Miami Heat (+499) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (-801)
- Game Total (Over/Under): Over 215.5 (+110) vs. Under 215.5 (-132)
Heat vs. Cavaliers Best Bet: Tyler Herro Over 23.5 Points (-112 At Novig)
After mentioning several big names in this matchup, there is still one that hasn’t been noted, and it’s the focus of the best bet from our Heat vs. Cavaliers predictions. That would be Tyler Herro, who has become a truly great scorer in the NBA.
While 21 points is far from awful, that’s nothing for Miami’s shooting guard. He averaged 34 points per game in the Play-In Tournament, and we expect a similar performance in Game 2. It’s not a crazy thought process either, as even the oddsmakers have set his points prop higher than his Game 1 output.
The Cavaliers went an incredible 64-18 this season, and one of those losses came to the Heat. Before you think that it was just because of Jimmy Butler, although it was while he was on the team, it was Herro that led that way with 34 points in that game. He very easily could have had 30+ on Sunday if not for some very uncharacteristic missed open threes in transition.
Herro has needed to step up and take on more scoring responsibility since the departure of Jimmy Butler, and with the Cavs having openly stated that their focus is on bottling up Bam Adebayo, this is Herro’s time to shine. Therefore, the best bet from our Heat vs. Cavaliers predictions is Tyler Herro over 23.5 points (-112 at Novig).
Heat vs. Cavaliers Injury Report & Starting Lineup
Throughout all of the Game 1’s, major injuries were avoided (other than a quick Jayson Tatum wrist injury scare). So, that means that the Heat vs. Cavaliers injury news is few and far between, although we did see Miami’s Kevin Love miss Game 1 for personal reasons. Even still, here are the expected Heat vs. Cavaliers lineups for tonight:
MIA Heat:
CLE Cavaliers:
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Player News
Buddy Hield had 15 points (5-of-14 FGs), three rebounds, one assist, one steal and four three-pointers against the Timberwolves in Game 2 on Thursday.
Hield moved into the Warriors’ starting lineup in the first round and the team became somewhat reliant on his scoring. With Stephen Curry (hamstring) out in Game 2, Hield started and played 29 minutes. The 32-year-old shooting guard led the Warriors in field goal attempts, though no one in a Golden State uniform was able to reach 20 points. The Warriors weren’t able to overcome a double-digit first half deficit. Despite the four made three-pointers, they’re going to need more from Hield as the series shifts to Golden State, especially if Curry remains out.
Jimmy Butler had 17 points (6-of-13 FGs), seven rebounds, four assists, one steal and two three-pointers against the Timberwolves in Game 2 on Thursday.
Butler couldn’t get it done without Stephen Curry (hamstring) on the road in Game 2. The Warriors fell behind by double-digits early and never recovered. Butler had 17 points on 13 shots, which wasn’t far off from the 20 points he had in Game 1. Still, the Warriors have to regroup as they head home for Games 3 and 4 as they try to figure out a way to keep this series close until Curry can return to the court.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker had 20 points (7-of-13 FGs), two rebounds, three assists, one block and four three-pointers in Game 2 against the Warriors on Thursday.
Alexander-Walker was a key scorer off the bench in Game 2. He, Naz Reid and Donte DiVencenzo combined for 10 made three-pointers off the bench. In a game where the Warriors were desperate for scoring without Stephen Curry (hamstring), those bench points were too much to overcome as the Timberwolves won by 24 points.
Julius Randle had 24 points (10-of-17 FGs), seven rebounds, 11 assists and one three-pointer in Game 2 against the Warriors on Thursday.
Randle led the Timberwolves in scoring in the Game 2 victory. The 30-year-old power forward was just three rebounds away from a triple-double. He was a steadying presence in his 33 minutes as Anthony Edwards dealt with an ankle injury towards the end of the first half. Edwards recovered from his injury to play 34 minutes, but Randle is still the next most important player in this series for the Timberwolves.
Anthony Edwards had 20 points (6-of-13 FGs), nine rebounds, five assists, three steals, one block and two three-pointers in the Timberwolves’ 117-93 victory over the Warriors in Game 2 on Thursday.
Edwards appeared to suffer a sprained left ankle towards the end of the second quarter as the Warriors’ Trayce Jackson-Davis landed on his foot. Edwards turned the same ankle in the first round against the Lakers and appeared to re-aggravate the injury. The 23-year-old shooting guard would go on to start the second half and play a team-high 34 minutes in the Game 2 victory. Edwards will only have one full day off before the series resumes in Golden State for Game 3 on Saturday.
Warriors will start Brandin Podziemski, Buddy Hield, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green and Quinten Post in Game 2 against the Timberwolves on Thursday.
No surprise here as Curry was always a long shot to make it back for Game 2 after leaving Game 1 with hamstring injury. While there has been a report that the 37-year-old point guard is expected to miss a week, there is no firm timetable for his return. The Warriors will go big with their starting lineup for Game 2 with center Quinten Post entering the lineup in Curry’s absence.