Miami Heat vs Toronto Raptors Prediction: Home team to extend head-to-head winning streak

Miami already beat Toronto in the regular season a few days ago, and now they will try to do it again. Will the Heat be able to beat the Raptors for the 3rd time in a row?

Miami Heat

The Heat have been plagued by injuries since the start of the season, although their biggest stars have been unaffected. Victor Oladipo and Omer Yurtseven have not appeared on the floor during the regular season, while Nicola Jovic and Caleb Martin have been sidelined as well. The latter, by the way, plays an important role on defense for the Heat, but there shouldn't be any problems with the offense. Miami's roster now consists of so many sharpshooters that even Duncan Robinson has more room in the rotation. Max Strus is averaging 14.7 points right now, behind Tyler Herro and Jimmy Butler. Herro's progress, by the way, continues to be gratifying. Tyler is gaining muscle mass, and training with the famous shooting coach Drew Hanlen didn't go in vain.

Erik Spoelstra's team recovered from two losses at the beginning of the championship and defeated Toronto at home, 112-109. Both teams trailed by nearly everything in the first half, and the Heat scored 71 points in two quarters. Max Strus and Kyle Lowry had some nice shots from beyond the arc and Duncan Robinson came off the bench. Bam Adebayo wasn't very visible and made only 6 shots from the floor, but his defense under the basket generally overcame the shortcomings. Miami was nearly blighted by a high number of losses, although the Heat outscored their opponent in many other statistical metrics. Jimmy Butler was the most productive player on the team with 24 points.

Toronto Raptors

Toronto Raptors already had a very short bench, and the injury to Scottie Barnes gives Toronto head coach Nick Nurse even more headaches. Barnes is unlikely to play against Miami, and the loss of the young forward is particularly significant given the absence of Otto Porter Jr. Precious Achiuwa, who added three-point shooting to his arsenal, is the most impressive of the reserves so far. Pascal Siakam has become the undisputed leader of Toronto's offense, averaging 27.7 points with 10.3 rebounds and 7 assists. Khem Birch returned to the lineup after an injury but was not given a spot in the rotation, while Chris Boucher is still in the infirmary.

Despite the slight difference in the score, Nick Nurse's team had no tangible chance to win. Toronto closed the gap to 26 points as the game wore on, but somehow managed to close the gap in the end. What was surprising was how much the Raptors valued the ball: they committed only 6 turnovers in total. Gary Trent, Jr., Precious Achiuwa, OG Anunoby and Malachi Flynn did well from beyond the arc, and Pascal Siakam was more productive under the basket than he was on mid-range shots. The Cameroonian forward was the Raptors' most productive player as a result, scoring 23 points.

Expert Betting Tips

The Heat are looking good at the start of the season, and they clearly did not deserve two losses in three games. At the very least, Miami was unlucky against Chicago, as their opponent's long-range shots took off. The home team is in a better position to defend on the arc against the Raptors, and the Heat have many more consistent shooters. Tyler Herro looks solid and should be getting better, while Bam Adebayo still lacks confidence in his abilities. The last two head-to-head meetings also favor the home team, so our prediction for Miami vs Toronto is as follows:

• H1 (-2.5) for 1.84;
• TO (217.5) for 2.10;
• Pascal Siakam TO (22.5) for 1.83.

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