The Denver Nuggets will look to avoid any rust after more than a week off when they take on the Miami Heat in Game 1 of their NBA Finals matchup on Thursday. The Heat (44-38), who needed a seventh game to dispose of the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals, are 0-2 this season against Denver. The Nuggets (53-29), who swept the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals, have not played since May 22. 

Denver is a 9-point favorite in the latest Heat vs. Nuggets odds, while the over/under is set at 218.5. Tipoff from Ball Arena in Denver is set for 8:30 p.m. ET.  

Before locking in any Heat vs. Nuggets picks or any other NBA predictions, you NEED to see which side Larry Hartstein is on. 

A former lead writer for Covers and The Linemakers, Hartstein combines a vast network of Vegas sources with an analytical approach. Hartstein also excels in the NBA, especially when picking Denver Nuggets games. Over the past 97 Denver matchups, he is 57-37-3 against the spread, returning $1,635 for $100 players. Anybody following those picks has seen HUGE returns!

Now, he has set his sights on Game 1 of Heat vs. Nuggets.

The expert knows Denver center Nikola Jokic has been scalding hot this postseason, registering five triple-doubles over the past six playoff games. In the Game 4 win over the Lakers, Jokic scored 30 points, while grabbing 14 rebounds and dishing out 13 assists with three blocks and a steal.

Hartstein also knows small forward Jimmy Butler has carried Miami to the Finals, scoring nearly six points more per game than his season average. In 17 playoff games, Butler is averaging 28.5 points, seven rebounds, 5.7 assists and 2.1 steals per game. In Monday's close-out win over Boston, Butler scored 28 points, grabbed seven rebounds and had six assists in 43 minutes.  

Now, Hartstein has locked in another confident against the spread pick for Heat vs. Nuggets. We can tell you he's leaning Under on the point total, but he knows a crucial X-factor makes one side of the spread a MUST-BACK! You ABSOLUTELY need to see what it is before locking in any picks of your own.

Who wins Heat vs. Nuggets on Thursday, and what critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? ... Join SportsLine right now to see which side of the Heat vs. Nuggets spread to jump on, all from the expert who's an outstanding 57-37-3 against the spread (plus $1,635) over the past 97 Denver picks!