Cleveland Cavaliers vs Miami Heat picks, predictions, odds: Who wins NBA playoffs first round series.?

After days of waiting, the Cleveland Cavaliers finally know who they'll face off against in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.

The No. 1 seed Cleveland Cavaliers and No. 8 seed Miami Heat play in the first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs starting Sunday, April 20.

Who will win the series and advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals?

The final game of the Play-In Tournament was certainly a tight win and left Cavaliers fans on the edge of their seat the entire night.

Miami held the lead for most of the game, but Trae Young gave Atlanta their first lead midway through the fourth quarter, and the two teams were tied at 1-6 with 1.3 seconds left to play.

It wasn't until Tyler Herro and Davion Mitchell went off in overtime that the Cavaliers found out that Miami was who they'd play on in the best-of-seven series.

While the Heat will enter the postseason as the eighth seed, the Cavaliers can't let the guard down. Cleveland struggled against Miami earlier this season and had a 2-1 record against them during the regular season.

How well the Cavaliers shoot from the field could be the determining factor in the series. For reference, Cleveland shot 46 percent from the floor and 37 percent from behind the arc while allowing.

Game 1 of the first-round series will be played on Sunday, April 20, at 7:00 PM on TNT. Looking ahead to Game 2, it will be on Wednesday, April 23, at 7:30 PM on NBA TV.

Miami Heat vs Cleveland Cavaliers predictions, nba playoffs picks.

The Oklahoman: Cavaliers beat Heat in five games

Justin Martinez writes: "Miami is the first No. 10 seed in NBA history to advance to the playoffs, and it has won 10 of its last 14 games. But its strong play will come to an end in its first-round series against Cleveland. The Cavaliers have an elite offense, which ranks first in the NBA in points per game (121.9). They also have a disruptive defense that's led by the big-man duo of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, which will prevent easy looks at the rim. Cleveland is the more complete team, and it'll win this series in five."

NBA.com: Cavaliers defeat Heat in five games

John Schuhmann writes: "With their two Play-In victories, the Heat have won six of their last seven games on the road. They’re a resilient bunch that can make things difficult for any opponent. But this opponent has a better defense and more offensive weapons than either of the two teams the Heat beat to get here. And while they had the league’s ninth-ranked defense overall, the Heat ranked 19th defensively (118.8 points allowed per 100 possessions) in games against the league’s top 10 offenses. This is one of the best offenses we’ve ever seen, and the Cavs should take care of business to advance to the conference semifinals for the second straight year."

USA TODAY Sports: Cavaliers win series vs Heat in six games

It writes: "The Cavaliers posted the NBA’s top offensive rating, scoring 121.0 points per 100 possessions en route to winning 64 games, most since the 2008-09 season, when they won 66."

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Yahoo Sports: Cavaliers will sweep Heat in NBA playoffs

Tom Haberstroh writes: "Cleveland, OKC and Boston all sweep. We haven’t seen three sweeps in Round 1 since 2020, but I have a feeling we’ll see it outside the Bubble for the first time in almost a decade. They’re that much better than their first-round opponents."

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Cleveland Cavaliers vs Miami Heat: NBA playoffs odds, lines

The Cavaliers are -2500 to win the series in NBA playoffs odds provided by BetMGM Sportsbook. The Heat are +1200.

The Cavaliers winning in four games is at +180 in odds for the outcome of the series. Cleveland is at +200 to win in five games, +450 to win in six games and +550 to win in seven games.

The Heat are +2000 to beat the Cavaliers in seven games, +2000 to win in six games, +4500 to win in five games and +6500 to sweep Cleveland.

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