Miami Heat vs. Milwaukee Bucks Game 2 Prediction, NBA Odds

Jordan Ramsay | Updated Apr 19, 2023

Can the Heat stun the Bucks again and take a 2-0 series lead back to Miami?

Miami
44-38
AT
April 19, 2023, 9:00 PM ET
Fiserv Forum
Milwaukee
58-24
Pointspread +5.5 -110
Moneyline +179
Over / Under o +216.5

52%

Betting Action

48%

Pointspread -5.5 -110
Moneyline -215
Over / Under u +216.5

52%

Betting Action

48%

Both teams suffered big injury losses in Game 1 on Sunday between the Heat and Bucks, but it was Miami who handled the adversity better with a 130-117 win. Miami’s Tyler Herro left the opening game with a broken hand, while Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo exited with a back injury. Can the top-seeded Bucks bounce back when they host the Heat for Game 2 on Wednesday night?

Milwaukee is a 6.5-point favourite to win on the NBA odds, with a total of 219.5.

Heat vs. Bucks NBA Betting Odds

Game 1 broke a streak of eight straight victories for the home side in this head-to-head series. It was the third straight game to hit the Over between these teams. The Bucks remain favoured to win the series at -227, while Miami is a +165 underdog.

The Heat are 4-2 against the spread in their last six games overall, but just 4-9 ATS in their last 13 on the road. They’ve put points on the board, hitting the Over in six of their last eight games overall and five of their last seven against Eastern Conference opponents. Miami is +6990 to win the NBA championship and +3275 to win the Eastern Conference.

Milwaukee hasn’t been a great cover option, going 1-4 ATS in their last five games. They’ve been more consistent on the total, hitting the Over in four of their last five. After being favoured to win both the East and the NBA championship, the Bucks are now second-favourites behind Boston in both categories. Milwaukee is +162 to win the East and +263 to win the NBA championship.

Miami Heat

Jimmy Butler led the way for Miami in Game 1, going off for a game-high 35 points and adding 11 assists and five rebounds. It was a clutch performance after Herro broke his right hand while diving for a loose ball late in the first half. Herro is expected to miss four to six weeks, which likely makes him unavailable at least until the Eastern Conference Finals. Bam Adebayo also stepped up in the absence of Herro, finishing with 22 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. Gabe Vincent and Caleb Martin added 15 points apiece.

The Heat set a new franchise playoff record in Game 1, shooting 59.5 per cent from the floor. Despite ranking 27th in the NBA in three-point percentage (.344) during the regular season, Miami hit 15 of 25 shots beyond the arc. They also edged the Bucks 62-46 in points in the paint.

Milwaukee Bucks

The story of this game for the Bucks is the loss of Antetokounmpo, who suffered a lower back bruise on a Kevin Love foul while he was driving to the net. The latest update has Antetokounmpo, an MVP finalist, listed as doubtful to play Game 2. Milwaukee relied on Khris Middleton in the Game 1. Middleton finished with 33 points and nine rebounds. Bobby Portis added 21 points and eight boards, while Jrue Holiday had 16 points and 16 assists.

The Bucks struggled to connect from three-point range in Game 1, hitting just 11 of 45 attempts from beyond the arc. One concerning trend, albeit more anecdotal, is this is the third time in the last five seasons Milwaukee has been the top overall seed in the playoffs. The other two times they lost to Toronto in the 2019 Eastern Conference Finals and were bounced by Miami in the 2020 East semifinals.

NBA Prediction: Who Will Win Heat vs. Bucks?

NBA Predictions
SportsInteraction