The Miami Heat are huge underdogs against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

The top-seeded Cavaliers are the favorite in every sportsbook despite the No. 8 Heat winning two road games against the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks during the Play-In Tournament. Yahoo! Sports went far as saying the Cavs, led by Donovan Mitchell, will defeat the Heat in five games.

Here’s what the Yahoo! article stated: “The Heat have done commendable work to pull out of their post-Jimmy-trade tailspin and win two play-in games on the road to make the postseason proper. When it comes to lining them up against this Cavs team, though, all that commendable work will buy them is a gentleman’s sweep.”

This is the Heat’s third straight postseason appearance as the No. 8 seed. Last year they were defeated by the eventual champion Boston Celtics in the first round. In 2023, the Heat made it to the NBA Finals. They joined the 1999 New York Knicks as the only eighth seed to make the Finals before losing to Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets in five games.

It should be noted the Heat are the more experienced of the teams. This is their franchise-record sixth straight appearance in the playoffs.