The Miami Heat came seemingly out of nowhere to earn the East’s top seed, but they won’t have a walk in the park in Round 1. Waiting for the No. 1 seed is Trae Young, who really made the jump to super stardom in last year’s postseason by dominating the Knicks in Round 1 and upsetting the Sixers in Round 2. Much of that same group is back, meaning Jimmy Butler and Co. won’t be able to coast on South Beach here.
Ahead of Game 1, Bookies.com breaks down the series and makes our NBA picks to back on sports betting sites.
Heat vs Hawks Odds
| Market | Heat Odds | Hawks Odds |
| To Win Series | -370 | +300 |
| To Win 4-0 | +450 | +4000 |
| To Win 4-1 | +280 | +2200 |
| To Win 4-2 | +390 | +700 |
| To Win 4-3 | +340 | +850 |
| Total Games Played | 7 Games | 6 Games | 5 Games | 4 Games |
| Odds | +225 | +230 | +240 | +400 |
Odds via DraftKings and accurate as of publication.
Heat vs Hawks Betting Tips
Can Lightning Strike Twice? Trae Young was lethal in last year’s postseason, averaging 28.8 points and 9.5 assists in 16 games. He had help, but his efforts specifically led to series wins over New York and Philadelphia. He almost took down the Bucks, too.
The postseason is a different animal, but Young had some issues against Miami’s defense this year—he averaged 25.5 points and 7.3 assists. The assists were his second lowest against any East team. If Erik Spoelstra has a plan for Young,this series won’t last long. But if Young has some ’21 magic up his sleeve…
Championship Experience: This Heat core has played together in the NBA Finals, and the newest addition in Kyle Lowry has a ring. Miami is battle-tested and looks like a far different team than the one that was swept at the hands of the Bucks this time last year.
A core of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Lowry doesn’t get much sturdier from a consistency standpoint, and a Hall of Fame coach in Spoelstra doesn’t hurt, either. Miami has all the makings of a true title contender.
Taking Talents to South Beach: Of course underdogs need to steal road games in order to win a series. But it will take a monumental shift for that to happen here.
The Heat had the East’s best home record (29-12), while Atlanta’s road record of 16-25 was 11th worst (even the Knicks won 20 games on the road). Worse, Atlanta was 6-18 ATS on the road. Miami might be able to pounce on the Hawks at home.
Heat vs Hawks Picks
Atlanta won two do-or-die games to get here, so we’re not discounting the momentum they’ve built. But it’s difficult to advance with the NBA’s 26th ranked defense, especially when the Heat aren’t going to give up all that much on the other end.
Butler, Bam, and the rest of the Heat roll here, with a stellar Trae Young performance at home giving the Hawks a single win. NBA betting fans, take the Heat in five without breaking a sweat.
Heat vs Hawks Schedule
Game 1: April 17, Atlanta at Miami, 1:00 p.m. ET, TNT
Game 2: April 19, Atlanta at Miami, TBD, TBD
Game 3: April 22, Miami at Atlanta, TBD, ESPN
Game 4: April 24, Miami at Atlanta, 7:00 p.m. ET, TNT
Game 5-7: TBD if necessary
