With the NBA Finals shifting to South Beach, the Heat will try to take a commanding 2-1 series lead against the Nuggets in Game 3 of the 2023 NBA Finals on Wednesday night (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC). Miami bounced back in Game 2 with a 111-108 win after losing Game 1, handing the Nuggets their first loss at home this postseason.
Miami received balanced scoring throughout its starting lineup, as three out of five starters scored 20 or more points. Gabe Vincent led the Heat with 23 points on an efficient eight-of-12 shooting from the field and four-of-six from three-point range. Meanwhile, Jimmy Butler scored 21 points (7-19 FG, 2-5 3pt) after being held to 13 points in Game 1. The star forward also found other ways to impact the game, as he had nine assists and four rebounds.
As for the Nuggets, two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic did whatever he wanted on the offensive end, scoring 41 points (16-28 FG, 2-5 3pt) and grabbing 11 rebounds. However, Jokic was held to a playoff-low four assists, which loomed large in the final result. Heading into Game 3, the Heat will hope that Butler can continue to be the player they've seen throughout the playoffs and build off his Game 2 performance. Bettors looking to put down a couple of wagers on another solid scoring performance from Butler can do it on SuperDraft or BetMGM.
On SuperDraft, bettors can pick an over/under on two or more player props. If you hit both, you win up to 3X the amount wagered, and the return increases each time you add another prop. Think of it as a "Same Game Parlay." More legs equal more risk, but also a bigger potential payout. However, not all players have the same props, so keep that in mind as you pick your over/under plays and try to win some cash during tonight's game.
One thing to keep in mind is that users can't play more than one prop for a single player in a SuperDraft entry. Therefore, we will spotlight some of our favorite SuperDraft props and a couple of player props you can bet on at BetMGM.
Jimmy Butler SuperDraft Player Prop Picks for Nuggets-Heat Game 3
Jimmy Butler OVER 21.5 points
Thanks to the SuperDraft community, we have a discounted square for Game 3 on Butler's points prop. The veteran forward's prop was originally set at O/U 25.5 points heading into Game 3 after dropping 21 points in Miami's three-point win over the weekend.
Butler hasn't had the type of dominant performance in the NBA Finals like we saw from him through the first three rounds of the playoffs. However, it was good to see him knock down some three-pointers and also get to the foul line, which the Heat struggled to do in Game 1. Users should slam the OVER on this square, as Butler has gone OVER 21.5 points in 14 out of 19 postseason games. Moreover, he's averaging 29.8 points per game at home during the postseason. After having a solid fourth quarter in Game 2 when he scored eight points (3-5 FG, 1-2 3pt), it wouldn't be surprising to see Butler trying to set the tone on Wednesday night.
Jimmy Butler UNDER seven rebounds
We will take the UNDER on his rebounds, as Butler has done a great job as a facilitator through two games (16 assists). Butler had four rebounds in Game 2 after grabbing seven boards in Game 1. One reason Butler's rebounds went down was the addition of Kevin Love to the starting lineup. Love didn't do a lot of scoring but was a presence on the glass with 10 rebounds, which was an excellent counter to the Nuggets' frontcourt.
In Butler's past 10 playoff games with Love on the floor, he's recording just 6.4 rebounds per game and has gone UNDER seven rebounds five times. Furthermore, Butler is averaging 6.8 boards per game during the playoffs. If Miami head coach Eric Spoelstra sticks with Love for Game 3, it won't be a shocker to see Butler's UNDER hit again.
Jimmy Butler BetMGM Player Prop Bets for Nuggets-Heat Game 3
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Jimmy Butler UNDER 6.5 assists (-110)
It might be crazy to take the UNDER for Game 3, especially with Butler dishing out nine assists in Game 2 and having 11 potential assists. However, we saw Bam Adebayo, Kyle Lowry, and Gabe Vincent bringing up the ball more in Game 2, which doesn't mean a ton but showed a new wrinkle in Miami's offense.
Butler is averaging 5.9 assists per game in the NBA playoffs, which is higher than his regular-season average (5.3). However, he's gone UNDER 6.5 assists in 12 out of his 19 past games. The veteran wing is posting 5.8 assists per game (10 potential assists per game) in his past four home playoff games, per NBA.com.
Jimmy Butler to score 30 points (+185)
For our last player prop bet for Butler, we will look at his alternate points prop, which is at +185 odds for 30-plus points. Butler has played well at home in the playoffs (29.8 points per game), and he's scored 30 or more points five times during the Heat's incredible postseason run.
He's also had at least three games with at least 28-plus points, which gives us some confidence that Butler scoring 30 points might not be a farfetched idea. The Heat will try to set the tone early Wednesday night, just like the Denver did in Game 1, and they will need Butler to lead the charge against the dynamic duo of Jokic and Jamal Murray.
