Denver Nuggets vs Miami Heat Prediction: The Nuggets have been amazing, Heat improving

NBA Regular Season has brought to us a ton of interesting battles but there have been some head-scratchers too along the way. Some teams have dug a deep hole and it will take a lot of climbing up to do. The Miami Heat has dug a bit of a hole but they have been doing well lately. The Miami Heat will square off against the Denver Nuggets here.

The Heat comes into the game after defeating the Lakers 112:98 as Jimmy Butler hurled in 27 points. This was the second straight win and they have now won six out of their eight games. Still, they have some catching up to do, having accumulated just 18 wins and 16 losses, which is a slim return for a team that made the Conference Finals last season.

Their biggest issue has been on the offensive end which has been compounded by regular injuries-based absentees. One big positive for the team has been that Tyler Herro has added stellar passing to his game apart from his terrific scoring. The Heat has three 20+ points scorers in Herro, Butler, and Adebayo, so they do have an offense that can elevate further.

The Nuggets enter the affair after a heart-breaking 127:128 road loss to the Sacramento Kings despite a 40 points outburst by MVP candidate Nikola Jokic. In that game, the Nuggets led by 11 entering the fourth quarter but were shot down by Malik Monk who made game-tying free throws too Even after the loss, the Nuggets are in a handsome position with 22 wins and just 12 losses.

The improvement in the record can be attributed to two major factors, the return of Two-Way Wing Michael Porter Jr. and high-scoring Guard Jamal Murray. The inclusions of Bruce Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope have brought great balance whereas Bones Hyland has been a terrific bench player. Aaron Gordon has had his great outings too and after being one of the least deep teams last season, Denver has built enviable depth.

• Nuggets: OUT: Jeff Green, Collin Gillepsie. QUESTIONABLE: Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Bruce Brown;
• Heat: OUT: Omer Yurtseven, DeWayne Dedmon. QUESTIONABLE: Caleb Martin. PROBABLE: Jimmy Butler, Gabe Vincent, Nikola Jovic.

• Expected Leading Scorers: Nikola Jokic(30-35 Points), Jimmy Butler(25-31 Points);
• Expected Leading Rebounders: Nikola Jokic(11-15 Rebounds), Bam Adebayo(9-11 Rebounds);
• Expected Leading Playmakers: Nikola Jokic(9-12 Assists), Tyler Herro(5-7 Assists).

The Nuggets have now won six games in a row at home and they have looked in great touch on the defensive end lately too. The Heat is on a four-game away-from-home winning streak which is admirable in itself. The Center battle between Adebayo and Jokic is huge and I get a sense that Adebayo is going to make life difficult for the peerless Jokic. The Heat’s biggest weakness is their recurring offensive lapses and they can’t afford that against Denver. I believe the Nuggets are going to be in great touch but I see the Heat forcing a close game. I predict a scoreline of 118:113 in favor of Denver.