The NBA Finals moves to San Antonio tonight as the Spurs welcome the Heat to the Lone Star State for a Game 3 clash at the AT&T Center. This evening’s game is scheduled to tip off at 9:00pm ET on ABC. 2013 NBA Finals Odds are favoring San Antonio at -2 against the spread and -130 on the moneyline ($130 wins $100). The Over/Under is set at 188 points.
The Heat avoided the dreaded 0-2 hole on Sunday night, which, quite possibly, saved their opportunity to win the NBA Finals given the 2-3-2 format. Miami does not have to think about the ugly possibilities, though, as it topped the Spurs 103-84.
Surprisingly,
LeBron James and Dwyane Wade were not in top form as they combined for 27 points on 12-of-30 shooting; however, Mario Chalmers was feeling it. The former Kansas Jayhawk knocked down 6-of-12 from the field, 2-of-4 from long range, and 5-of-5 from the free throw to finish with a team high 19 points.
As a team, the Heat shot 49.4 percent from the field and 52.6 percent from beyond the arc; drastic improvements from their Game 1 showing which them connect on 43.6 percent from the field and 32 percent from three-point range.
Defensively the Heat were able to contain Tim Duncan and Tony Parker, something they could not do on Thursday night. Duncan and Parker, who scored 20 and 21 points respectively in the series opener, tallied 22 points on 8-of-27 shooting.
Miami’s victory marked its fifth win in its last six meetings with the Spurs; nonetheless, San Antonio is favored in tonight’s contest. The Spurs are an exceptional home team, having won 35 of their 41 home games during the regular season and five of their six games at the AT&T Center in these playoffs.
The Heat won their first four playoff road outings, but they went 1-2 away from home in the Eastern Conference Finals. Miami has not won back to back games since Game 5 of its second round series with the Bulls and Game 1 of its series with the Pacers. That means the Heat are 0-4 off their last four wins.
Notable Trends: The Heat are 1-5 straight up and 1-4-1 against the spread in their last six games as a road dog with a spread between 0 and 3.5 points and a total between 185 and 190 points. The Spurs are 5-0 both straight up and against the spread in their last five games as a home favorite with a total between 185 and 190 points.
Miami Heat +2 (-110), Over 188 (-110) +110 (Moneyline)
San Antonio Spurs -2 (-110), Under 188 (-110), -130 (Moneyline)
NBA and College Basketball Betting Tips: 2nd Half WageringWhat NBA and college basketball bettors need to know about making 2nd half wagers during games, with tips from Pregame.com's Bryan Leonard and host Steve Fezzik.