Cavaliers vs Heat NBA Pick: Can Cleveland Cool Off Miami? (Apr 20)

• The Cleveland Cavaliers finished the regular season with the best record in the Eastern Conference.
• The Miami Heat locked up the No. 8 seed with wins over the Bulls and Hawks in the Play-In tournament.
• These teams last played on Mar. 5, with the Cavaliers claiming a 112-107 victory.

One of the games on Sunday’s NBA slate features the Cleveland Cavaliers hosting the Miami Heat in Game 1 of the NBA playoffs. Which team takes the opener in our Cavaliers vs Heat pick?

Cavs Look To Shake Off Late Season Struggles

Following a three-game winning streak, the Cavaliers lost three of their final five games, including a 126-118 defeat at the hands of the Indiana Pacers in the season finale.

Jaylon Tyson was one of four players who reached double figures. His final stat line included 31 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and three steals.

Nae’Qwan Tomlin scored 24 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Craig Porter added 20 points while Emoni Bates led the bench unit with 25 points, including seven 3-pointers.

Cleveland held a 27-point advantage in the third quarter (96-73). However, Indiana responded with a 32-9 run that helped send the game into overtime. And in the second OT session, RayJ Dennis scored seven straight points to give the Pacers a 118-111 lead they would not relinquish.

Surging Heat Hope To Derail Cleveland’s Title Aspirations

Meanwhile, the Heat arrive in this matchup courtesy of a pair of wins in the Play-In tournament. Their latest triumph includes a 123-114 victory against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night.

After dropping 38 against Chicago, Tyler Herro was the head cog once again, finishing with 30 points, eight boards, and seven dimes, including a 5-for-10 effort from beyond the arc.

Andrew Wiggins added 20 points and eight rebounds. Bam Adebayo posted a double-double that included 17 points and 11 rebounds. Miami’s big man also tallied five blocks, five assists, and two steals.

Atlanta overcame a 17-point deficit to force overtime. But Miami pulled away in the extra frame thanks to a pair of 3-pointers from Herro and three 3-point baskets from Davion Mitchell.

Cavaliers vs Heat Pick: Who Has The Edge In Game 1 Of This First-Round Matchup?

The Heat were head and shoulders above the field offensively, and are a top-10 squad at the other end of the floor. Meanwhile, the Heat were in the bottom third in terms of scoring, but finished seventh in points allowed.

Miami has won four of the previous seven meetings in this series, but Cleveland has taken each of the last two matchups. Although the Heat have had an impressive run, look for the top-seeded Cavs to come out on top.