Will the visitors take down the Raptors too?
An exciting matchup is set to take place tonight between the Toronto Raptors and the Miami Heat, and Wettbasis has a tip for you. Both teams have their sights set on the Eastern Conference playoffs, albeit in different ways.
While the hosts, currently sixth in the standings, are eyeing a direct berth, the visitors will definitely have to go through the play-in tournament following the regular season. At least this option can no longer be taken away from Coach Erik Spoelstra’s men, as they have already secured the tenth spot.
However, Miami would like to climb a bit higher in the standings to secure a better starting position for the play-in tournament. To do so, the Florida franchise is relying primarily on a stable offense.
In their last two games, the three-time NBA champions significantly surpassed their season scoring average of 120.8 points, averaging 140.5 points.
Furthermore, we currently view the basketball team from the “Sunshine State” as being on equal footing with their Canadian opponents. The Raptors have won only one of their last four games and suffered, among other things, an embarrassing home loss to the Sacramento Kings—a team that has long since been eliminated from postseason contention in the Western Conference.
In light of this, betting on the visitors not losing by more than two points in the game between the Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat is also recommended. On top of that, the NBA tip for Pelle Larsson to score more than 10.5 points for the visitors looks promising.
The Swedish guard epitomizes Miami’s recently strong offense: For the past four games, Larsson has surpassed his season scoring average of 11.3 points, consistently delivering 15 or more points during this stretch!
Toronto Raptors – Miami Heat Head-to-Head Record
Toronto won the last matchup against Miami last December on the road by a wide margin, 112-91. Thanks to that victory, the home team has a mini-streak of two straight wins against the Heat. However, looking back over a broader period, their home record against their upcoming opponent is actually even.
The Raps have won only half of their last twelve home games against the team from “Magic City.” Regardless, the odds for the upcoming matchup between the Toronto Raptors and the Miami Heat are leaning ever so slightly toward a home win.
Toronto Raptors – Miami Heat Prediction
Euphoria is building in Toronto: After three seasons without a postseason appearance, the chances of ending this dry spell currently look very good. The Raptors are in sixth place and, as things stand, would qualify directly for the playoffs.
However, their recent performances have been mixed, and the Canadians face a seasoned opponent in Miami. Although the Heat arrive in tenth place in the East, they have already secured a spot in the play-in tournament, and in the past, the tournament has always been successful for Spoelstra’s squad thanks to their strong nerves.
Miami has participated in the tournament over the past three seasons and has always made it to the playoffs via this route. Last season, Miami even managed the feat of achieving this success while finishing tenth in the regular season, as the visitors won both road games against Chicago and Atlanta in the play-in tournament!
Currently, Miami is also in solid form offensively. In five of their last six games, the Florida team has scored at least 119 points. Against this backdrop and given the home team’s recent shaky performances, the betting odds for the game between the Toronto Raptors and the Miami Heat look promising for the visitors to score more than 118.5 points again.
