Miami vs San Antonio Handicapping
You can be pretty certain that at no time this season did the Miami Heat players, coaches or front office think that come June they would be facing two consecutive elimination games at home.
NBA Finals
San Antonio Spurs (3-2) at Miami Heat (2-3)
Tuesday, June 18
AT&T Center, San Antonio
9 p.m. EST
Spread – Heat -7
O/U – 191
[dfads params=’groups=63740&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]
ATS Matchup Stats | Gambling Insight!
Check out our in-house Handicapper!!! Buy Razor Ray’s NBA Picks Today!
Least not when they were ripping off 27 straight and almost running the table for two consecutive months.
Yet here they are, needing to win both tonight and Thursday. The margin for error has now become cardboard in the rain. Miami now can’t afford even one bad half of basketball to get its second straight title and continue that march of championships that Lebron James threw in everyone’s face when he bolted from Cleveland a few years ago.
CLICK GRAB OUR BEST Expert NBA Picks for 2013 HOOPS GAMBLING season!
It will be more than interesting to see how James and the Heat play it tonight.
***Will James play point forward early on, getting everyone involved and seeing if Mario Chalmers and Chris Bosh can hit enough open jumpers to make it nearly impossible for the Spurs to defend the entire half-court?
***Is 46 hours enough recovery time for Dwyane Wade’s ailing knee after Wade had to go 40-plus minutes in Game 5?
***Miami seems capable of playing fanatical pressure defense for 12 to 15 minutes, usually in the second half. Will the Heat try to apply the screws earlier tonight, hoping to put away the game so key players can save some wind for a Game 7?
***Mindful of how beneficial a Game 7 would be for television ratings, how many free throws will James take tonight? During the regular season James averaged more than seven a game from the line, but in this entire series he’s had only 19 total. [ad-6571516]
It’s doubtful that any other team is better equipped to handle what the veteran Spurs figure to face tonight in Miami. “Obviously,” said Spours PG Tony Parker, “you want to finish in the first opportunity you get. We understand that Miami is going to come out with a lot more energy, and they’re going to play better at home.”
How San Antonio handles Miami’s pressure defensive pressure will be one of the main keys. All season long the Heat have been able to avoid game-planning for other teams, relying on their own talent and making opposing offenses deal with the Heat’s ability to go into shut-down mode.
The Spurs have taken Miami’s best shot (a 33-5 run in the Heat’s Game 2 win) and now are just one win away from their fifth title.
FREE NBA PICK
Isn’t it about time that the blowouts come to an end? With the exception of Game 1 (SA 92-88), the average margin of victory has been more than 20 points. The Heat are healthy 7-point favorites in this one, the number no doubt reflecting Miami’s favor among bettors internationally.
Liking the Spurs to cover in this one, the only concerns being Gregg Popovich’s tendency to outcoach himself like he did in Game 5 by starting Tiago Splitter, and the NBA’s desire to get this to a Game 7.
