One of the most anticipated first round matchups tips off Saturday afternoon, as the Knicks travel to Miami to face off against the dreaded Heat. Miami has opened as big NBA betting favorites, but the public is taking points with the Knicks right now.
Miami is the obvious NBA odds favorite, and most NBA betting shops are offering them at -8 ½, with the total set at 186.5 points. I have a
great feeling about this game, and I will be adding it to my NBA picks as I try build my bankroll early in this year's playoffs.
New York; ready or not?
If
everything comes together with this team in the playoffs, they could pose a big
threat to the Heat. It’s a big if, but think about it for a minute. The Knicks’
frontcourt is far superior to the frontcourt of Miami. Iman Shumpert is one of
the best young on ball defenders in the NBA, as well. These two combinations
represent a matchup nightmare for the Heat.
What the
Knicks need to do if they are going to win this series is play defense;
something they still haven’t been doing all that well this season. Under Mike
Woodson, the Knicks have been playing better on the defensive end of the floor,
but they still lack that defensive intensity that could help them beat the Heat.
If the
Knicks somehow learn to play lights out defense over night, they have a big
shot at upsetting the Heat in the first round. They have the scoring depth,
they have the stars, but they just need to come together as a team.
Heat wave
Miami
will be looking to return to the NBA Finals for a second season in a row, but
will have a much harder time doing so. Miami will most likely have to face the
Pacers and Bulls if they get past the Knicks. Neither of those teams will be
doormats by any means, and neither will the Knicks for that matter.
If you
remember last season’s playoffs, the Heat had a cakewalk to the Eastern
Conference Finals. They dominated Philadelphia in the first round, and had a
pretty easy time getting past Boston in the second round. They did not play a
series over 5 games until the NBA Finals. This will surely be different this postseason,
and I think it starts with this series. In no way do I think this series lasts
less than 6 games.
The Sharp Pick
I
mentioned in a recent article that I think this series is going to be more like
ABA games than NBA games. I don’t see any defense getting played, and that is
why for this pick, and probably future sports picks on this series, I see the total
holding incredible value. Who is going to stop whom?
Carmelo
Anthony and Lebron James are going to light each other up, and with the one
exception of Tyson Chandler, no one in either uniform is going to be able to
effectively stop their counterpart.
Miami
has been effective at holding down the Knicks this season, but their first two
games were against a very different Knicks team. New York will be shooting
multiple three pointers, and Miami is already a very good scoring team. This
total is going to fly over, as both teams will be hyped up for postseason play.
My Pick: OVER 186 ½