We’ve got another exciting Eastern Conference matchup on Friday’s NBA schedule as the Miami Heat will visit the Toronto Raptors. Toronto is 17-38 overall and 12-17 at home, while Miami is 25-28 overall and 13-17 on the road. The Heat have won four of the last five matchups between these teams. Toronto is 31-22-2 against the spread (ATS) in the 2024-25 NBA season, while Miami is 21-30-2 versus the line.
Tipoff is at 7:30 p.m. ET at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. Miami is favored by 2.5 points in the latest Heat vs. Raptors odds, per SportsLine consensus, and the over/under is 220 points. Before entering any Raptors vs. Heat picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in betting profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past six-plus seasons. The model enters the second half of the 2024-25 NBA season on a sizzling 147-104 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning nearly $4,000. It’s also an outstanding 18-9 (67%) on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Miami vs. Toronto. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for the game:
- Raptors vs. Heat spread: Raptors +2.5
- Raptors vs. Heat over/under: 220 points
- Raptors vs. Heat money line: Raptors: +124, Heat: -147
- Raptors vs. Heat picks: See picks at SportsLine
- Raptors vs. Heat streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)
Why the Raptors can cover
The Raptors will head into this matchup out to bounce back as they wound up on the wrong side of a painful 131-108 defeat at the hands of the Cavaliers just before the All-Star Break. The Raptors’ loss came about despite a quality game from RJ Barrett, who went 11 for 18 en route to 27 points plus three steals. Scottie Barnes had a full stat line with 16 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks.
Despite having the third-worst record in the Eastern Conference, the Raptors have the second-best ATS record in the East. Then, when it comes to being a home underdog, Toronto excels as it has covered in 67% of games under those circumstances. The Raptors have covered in three of their last four games overall, while Miami has hit a skid versus the spread. The Heat haven’t covered in any of their last four games and have just one ATS victory over their last eight contests. See which team to back at SportsLine.
Why the Heat can cover
Meanwhile, the Heat’s recent rough patch got a bit rougher last Thursday when they took a 118-113 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Mavericks. The losing side was boosted by Tyler Herro, who had 40 points along with eight rebounds and three steals. Miami was extremely shorthanded in that contest without Bam Adebayo, Andrew Wiggins and Terry Rozier, but none of those three are even listed on Friday’s injury report.
Wiggins (12.0 points on 29.2% shooting) has struggled in two games since being traded to Miami, so he could be due for positive regression. The Heat’s strength is their defense, which ranks seventh in points allowed per game and defends without fouling. Miami commits the fewest fouls per game, which has led to opponents having the second-fewest free throw attempts per game. Toronto already ranks 29th in the NBA in made 3-pointers per game, so if it can’t generate points from the charity stripe either, it could be a long night for the Raptors. See which team to back at SportsLine.
How to make Raptors vs. Heat picks
The model has simulated Heat vs. Raptors 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Under, projecting 216 combined points, and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in almost 60 percent of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Raptors vs. Heat on Friday, and which side of the spread hits almost 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Heat vs. Raptors spread to back, all from the model that has returned well over $10,000 on top-rated NBA picks, and find out.
