Cavaliers vs Heat NBA Pick: Will Cleveland Cruise To Another Easy Victory? (Apr 23)

• The Cleveland Cavaliers finished with the top seed in the Eastern Conference and played like it in the series opener.
• The Miami Heat became the first No. 10 seed to advance to the postseason, but their late-season surge ended abruptly in Game 1.
• These teams last played on Apr. 20, with the Cavaliers claiming a 21-point victory.

One of the games on Wednesday’s NBA slate features the Cleveland Cavaliers hosting the Miami Heat in Game 2 of a first-round Eastern Conference playoff series. Which team comes out on top in our Cavaliers vs Heat pick?

Cavaliers vs Heat Game 1 Recap

The Cavaliers finished with the second-best record in the league and crushed the Heat in the series opener.

Donovan Mitchell was one of three starters who reached double figures, scoring a team-high 30 points on 11-for-19 shooting from the field. He also tallied five rebounds, four assists, and four steals.

Darius Garland finished with 27 points and five assists, including five 3-pointers. Ty Jerome contributed 28 points off the bench, with 16 coming in the fourth quarter.

On the other side, Bam Adebayo paced Miami’s offense with 24 points and nine rebounds.

Tyler Herro, who had put up consecutive 30-point outings against the Chicago Bulls and the Atlanta Hawks, finished with 21 points on 7-for-18 shooting from the field.

The Heat were within striking distance, trailing 98-90 in the final frame. But Cleveland used a 13-4 run to put the game out of reach. The 121-point output is the most points this team has scored in a postseason contest since a 128-point effort in Game 4 of the 2018 Eastern Conference semifinals against the Toronto Raptors.

Cavaliers vs Heat Game 2 Pick: Will Cleveland Remain Hot Against Miami?

After the Cavaliers rolled to a double-digit victory in the series opener, here’s a look at a few notable trends for both sides heading into Game 2.

• The Cavaliers are 9-4 in their last 13 games.
• Cleveland has won nine of its previous 10 matchups against Southeast Division opponents.
• The Heat are 10-5 in their last 15 outings.
• However, Miami is just 2-12 in its previous 14 contests against Central Division foes.

Miami’s late-season surge to make it to the postseason was impressive. Unfortunately, they are playing against a superior team and don’t have the firepower to keep pace with a Cavaliers team that boasted the league’s top offense this season.

With that being said, look for the Cavs to take a 2-0 lead when these teams clash on Wednesday night.