Miami Heat - Toronto Raptors predictions and free betting tips [13/04/2024]

On Saturday, Miami Heat and Toronto Raptors meet at the Kaseya Center.

Miami Heat

The Heat are on a good run having won 5 of their last 8 games, but ran into trouble in their last encounter, falling to the Dallas Mavericks with a scoreline of 92:111. In that game, Tyler Herro scored 21 points, pulled down 7 rebounds and assisted 6 times, Kevin Love chipped in with 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Caleb Martin made a contribution of 14 points and 6 assists. Overall, the team shot at a score rate of just 40% from the field and 13 out of 30 from the three-point range. After a poor start, the Heat couldn't recover from a 22 points deficit at the halftime.

Wrapping up the regular season with two games against the Toronto Raptors, Miami are faced with the fact that even two wins in these matches are unlikely to help them ensure direct qualification to the Eastern Conference playoffs. With a record of 44-36 they are two games behind the Orlando Magic and Indiana Pacers for spots in the top six, and one game behind the Philadelphia 76ers, who hold the 7th spot. Having made it to the NBA finals last year, where the Heat lost to the Denver Nuggets, a possible participation in the play-in for the 7th-8th spot will be a familiar territory for them.

Toronto Raptors

The Raptors are struggling this season with a run of 17 losses in their last 19 games, including 15 straight defeats. Despite this, the team put up a fight, pulling off a win against the Brooklyn Nets with a score of 106-102 in their most recent match. In that encounter, Immanuel Quickly took the lead scoring 32 points, making 7 rebounds, and 9 assists, while Grady Dick made a significant contribution scoring 24 points. Overall, the Raptors executed 37% of shots from the field and 16 out of 40 from beyond the arc, but despite this, the team couldn't hold on to their lead in the last minute allowing the Nets to make a decisive run for victory.

A difficult season for the Raptors is also marred by the challenges in executing plays due to physical discrepancies among the team, as noted by coach Darko Rajakovich after the match against the Nets. Grady Dick, who at the start of the season was getting limited playing time, now regularly takes the field and consistently performs, underscoring the importance of staying focused and ignoring criticism. At the start of the season, the Raptors had already met Miami Heat twice in Toronto, where the teams had one win each.

Predictions for the Toronto Raptors - Miami Heat match

There are doubts about the participation of Bruce Brown and Gary Trent Jr. in the Toronto Raptors lineup, while Miami Heat continues to play without Duncan Robinson and Josh Richardson. Despite the Raptors playing quite well in their last match against the Nets, they no longer have motivation and many leaders in the squad. A clash with the Miami Heat seems a tough challenge for the Raptors. I predict that the "dinosaurs" won't score more than 117 points.