The scene shifts to South Beach on Sunday as Game 3 of the NBA Finals takes place between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Miami Heat. The game is scheduled for an 8:00 pm start time and it will be televised live on ABC. Currently the odds have Miami favored by 4 points with the total sitting at 193.5 points for the contest.
Free Analysis: The Heat pulled even in the NBA Finals with a gritty effort on Thursday, and now the teams settle in Miami for the next three games. In Game 2, the Thunder got 80 of their 96 points from three players -- Kevin Durant (32), Russell Westbrook (27) and James Harden (21). The trio made 29-of-59 FG (49.2%) and 8-of-19 threes. The rest of the team scored 16 points on 5-of-20 shooting from the floor, including 1-of-7 threes. Oklahoma City shot just 43% FG, 9-of-26 threes (35%) and 19-of-26 free throws (73%). The Thunder held a decisive 56-40 advantage in the paint in Game 1, the Heat turned the tables with a 48-32 points in the paint edge in Game 2. Defensively, they allowed just 45 second-half points and finished the game with nine blocks and nine steals. LeBron James showed his MVP worth with 32 points in the 100-96 Game 2 win, but three other Heat players provided great offense too. Dwyane Wade pumped in 24 points on 10-of-20 FG, Shane Battier scored 17 for the second straight game, burying 5-of-7 threes, and Chris Bosh had 16 points and 15 rebounds (seven offensive) in his starting role. Miami jumped out to a 12-point lead after one quarter, and shot at a blistering pace all night with 47% FG, 6-of-14 threes (43%) and 22-of-25 free throws (88%). James has averaged 30.8 PPG (47.4% FG), 11.3 RPG and 4.9 APG in his past eight home playoff games, tallying 30+ points and 10+ rebounds in each of his past five home contests. Wade has also shined at AmericanAirlines Arena this postseason with 23.9 PPG (48% FG), 4.0 RPG and 4.0 APG. He’s scored at least 22 points in his past seven home tilts. At home this year the Heat are 36-7 SU (84%) this season with a 24-18-1 ATS mark (57%) and an 11.2 PPG margin. In the 2012 playoffs, Miami is 8-2 SU (7-3 ATS) at home with a 12.0 PPG margin, outscoring these teams 99.4 PPG to 87.4 PPG. The Thunder rank third in the NBA with a 25-15 road record (63%) and own the sixth-best ATS mark at 23-16-1 (59%), including 5-1-1 ATS in playoff road tilts. Both teams have similar records with just one day’s rest -- Miami is 34-16 (24-26 ATS), while Oklahoma City is 34-14 (25-22-1 ATS).
Free Picks: In games 1 and 2 the Heat were able to build big early leads on this team and the Thunder were able to comeback in both, winning 1 and losing 1. The Heat's fast starts in both games shows just how motivated they are to win the whole darn thing. Lebron has been doing his job to make sure the Heat wins it all and in game two of the series he finally got help from Dwayne Wade. Dwayne had 24 points on 10 of 20 shooting in game 2 and a nother strong game should be expected from him here, as he has an average of 23.9 PPG (48% FG) with 4.0 RPG and 4.0 APG at home in the postseason this year. Miami is 36-7 SU at home on the year and have outscored their opponents by 11.2 ppg on this floor. Miami is highly motivated and will look to make a statement in this game. Lebron is playing out of his mind these days and Wade is starting to contribute, plus let's not forget about Bosh, wha has really been big since his return. MIAMI by at least 8 in this one. I also like the UNDER in this one. Miami is not a running team and on their own floor they should get the game at their own pace. Miami home games in the playoffs have averaged 186.8 ppg and the mid 180's is just about where i see this one falling as well.
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Betting Strategies: Handicapping NBA Playoffs
Host Marco D'Angelo and Pregame Pro Vegas Runner discuss their strategies about betting the NBA Playoffs and being successful.