Lower-seeded teams that made it through the first round clash when the Miami Heat battle the New York Knicks in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal matchup Sunday in the 2023 NBA playoffs. The Heat (44-38), the eighth seed, stunned the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in five games, including a 128-126 overtime win in Game 5 on Wednesday in Milwaukee. The Knicks (47-35), the fifth seed, bounced the fourth-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in five games, sealing the series with a 106-95 win on Wednesday. This is the sixth time the Heat and Knicks have squared off in the postseason. Julius Randle (ankle) is listed as questionable for New York.
Tipoff from Madison Square Garden in New York is set for 1 p.m. ET. New York leads the all-time regular-season series 69-65, while Miami holds a 15-14 edge in the playoffs. New York is a 4-point favorite in the latest Heat vs. Knicks odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is set at 207.5. Before locking in any Knicks vs. Heat picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past four-plus seasons. The model entered the third week of the 2023 NBA playoffs a stunning 71-38 on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning nearly $2,800. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Heat vs. Knicks and just locked in its picks and NBA playoff predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Knicks vs. Heat:
- Knicks vs. Heat spread: Knicks -4
- Knicks vs. Heat over/under: 207.5 points
- Knicks vs. Heat money line: Heat +152, Knicks -180
- MIA: The Heat are 5-1 against the spread in their last six games overall
- NY: The Knicks are 4-0 ATS in their last four games playing on three or more days rest
- Knicks vs. Heat picks: See picks at SportsLine
Featured Game | New York Knicks vs. Miami Heat
Why the Knicks can cover
Point guard Jalen Brunson is off to a fast start to the playoffs. In the five-game series against Cleveland, Brunson averaged 24 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 2.2 steals per game. He has a 2.0 assist-to-turnover ratio. He is coming off a 23-point, four-rebound and four-assist effort in the Game 5 close-out, and has scored 20 or more points in all five postseason games. In three regular-season games against Miami, he averaged 20.7 points, 5.7 assists, 3.3 rebounds and one steal in 34 minutes of action.
Shooting guard RJ Barrett has also had a solid postseason so far. In five starts, he is averaging 17.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.4 steals in 33.8 minutes. He came up big in the pivotal Game 4 win, scoring 26 points and grabbing two rebounds against the Cavaliers. In four games vs. the Heat, Barrett averaged 21.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 35 minutes. See which side to back at SportsLine.
Why the Heat can cover
Despite that, New York isn’t a lock to cover the Heat vs. Knicks spread. That’s because Miami has been on fire despite losing point guard Tyler Herro (hand) and shooting guard Victor Oladipo (knee) to injury. Leading the way is small forward Jimmy Butler, who nearly single-handedly brought down the top-seeded Bucks in the first round. In the Game 5 close-out win, he helped the Heat rally from double-figures down in the fourth quarter to force overtime and then pull out the win, scoring 42 points and grabbing eight rebounds. He had 56 points and nine boards in Game 4. In five playoff games, Butler is averaging 37.6 points, six rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.8 steals in 37.2 minutes of action.
Helping Butler is center Bam Adebayo, who is listed as probable after injuring his hamstring. He had a triple-double in the Game 5 win over Milwaukee, scoring 20 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing out 10 assists. He registered a double-double in the Game 3 win with 12 points and 11 rebounds. For the postseason, Adebayo is averaging 17.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, five assists and 1.6 steals in 31.6 minutes. See which side to back at SportsLine.
How to make Heat vs. Knicks picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning Over on the point total, projecting the teams to combine for 210 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in well over 50% of simulations. See who to back at SportsLine.
So who wins Knicks vs. Heat? And which side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that is 71-38 on top-rated NBA picks, and find out.