NBA Slam Dunk Best Bet -SAT (61% in Playoffs)
- Handicapper
- Jim Feist
- League
- NBA
- Competition
- Cleveland Cavaliers vs Miami Heat
- Release Date
- 04/26/2025 02:13 AM
- Event Date
- 04/26/2025 01:07 PM
- Bet Type
- Point Spread
- Pick
-
Miami Heat +5.5 (-110)
(BetMGM)
- Outcome
- Loss
- Analysis
- The Cleveland Cavaliers, who currently lead their first-round playoff series 2-0, will travel to Miami for Game 3 against the Heat on April 26, 2025. Tipoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET at the Kaseya Center. The Cavaliers demonstrated their superiority throughout the series by winning the initial games with scores of 121-100 and 121-112. Donovan Mitchell's scoring leadership above 30 points each game includes his critical 17-point fourth-quarter performance in Game 2 which stopped Miami from mounting a comeback. Evan Mobley who won Defensive Player of the Year has reinforced the Cavs' defense while Darius Garland gives substantial game contributions with 24 points and seven assists per game. The status of Darius Garland for Game 3 remains unclear because of a sprained left toe which could disrupt Cleveland's backcourt setup. As of this writing, Garland is officailly listed as questionable for today's contest.
The Miami Heat begin their playoff journey as the eighth seed while approaching a decisive moment in the series. The team displayed resilience by turning a 19-point deficit into a two-point edge in Game 2 because of Tyler Herro's 33 points. Bam Adebayo maintained his consistent performance while almost reaching a triple-double in their last match. The Miami Heat will miss Kevin Love because of personal reasons and Terry Rozier who is sidelined with an injury. The Heat possess an impressive home playoff performance track record which they must utilize to prevent falling into a 3-0 series deficit because no NBA team has ever come back from that position.
This is really a must win spot for the Heat. They might as well give up if they lose game three on their home court. Therefore, I'm looking for their best effort here on Saturday. I'll take the points with the Heat here on Saturday.
Jim's Play: Miami Heat
