Miami Heat vs Toronto Raptors: High-octane Heat meet up-and-down Raptors

NBA Eastern Conference has traditionally been slower-paced and more physically styled but well, in the pace and space era, all of that has changed. Not only has Eastern Conference teams like Hornets play to push it up the floor and shootout type of games, but there are also some Western Conference teams, especially in the Warriors, that engage in a more physical brand of basketball. And just like this tradition, NBA betting sees many fortunes overnight as the job seems to become tougher and tougher with each passing day. In this game, two Eastern Conference squads in Miami Heat and Toronto Raptors clash against each other.

The Heat has enjoyed a wonderful season with a stupendous 32 wins and just 17 losses, with an incredible 18 wins and five losses record at home. The Heat is on a three-game winning streak right now and they have won five out of the last six games. The Miami is streaking right now and they have looked dominating with their incredible bench depth. On the other hand, bench depth isn’t a concept that is familiar to these Raptors, who have won half of their 46 games(23-23). If only the team had a better bench, they’d have been winning a lot more games and after beginning the month on a six-game winning streak, Toronto has fallen off the radar lately. What hope is there for the Raptors from here? A talented core, but slim returns. On the other hand, Heat keeps finding spark from nearly all their players and certainly has appeared one of the deepest if not the deepest team in the league. Can the Heat win four in a row in an exhausted but feisty Raptors team? For my game result and total prediction, jump to “Expert Betting Tips”.

Classic examples of why depth matters

Depth comparison

Miami: Miami’s last season and this season have been different for one simple reason; bench depth. Although Kyle Lowry has been out for personal reasons recently, it was him who carried the team with two of its best players out in Butler and Adebayo. Trust me, this is a huge deal, that a team that loses two of its main players end up winning more than 60% of their games without them, a true testament to the team’s depth. The guard position is just too deep for Heat and it has such variety that it has to be one of the best combinations out there in Lowry-Robinson-Herro-Vincent-Strus. Robinson has been playing his best basketball recently, Vincent has slid into the starting role well while Herro is one of the best off the bench players and will probably end up winning Sixth-Player-of-the-Year awar.

Raptors: Unlike Heat, the Raptors’ bench depth is shambles, and well, to bring my point home, the team has four of its starters in the top-thirteen players with most minutes this season. Gary Trent Jr. has been doing a brilliant job for the past two games but the team has been without their star Guard Fred Van Vleet and he is questionable for this game. And that is it! Unlike Heat, the Raptors lack a deep guard position and so is that true for the wing position off the bench. Toronto surely has one of the if not the worst bench in the league and well, even with an all-around presence like Barnes, Anunoby, and Siakam, along with reserves Boucher and Achiuwa, the Raptors have a lot of length and some depth at the big positions but yes, they are vulnerable in terms of the bench.

Why the different records?

Well, now that we have established that the two teams have been different in terms of bench depth there are a lot of differences in the way the season has panned out. The Heat has kept on winning and more than game-winning streaks, they have made sure that they don’t go on losing streaks. And yes, overall, the Heat has been pulling through late often, and right now, they have struck gold with Butler and Adebayo back. In the end, it all boils down to the bench depth because the Raptors have been tired late in the game and their fourth-quarter performances signify exhaustion. On the other hand, the Heat can go on big runs late in the game and well, again, more so due to the depth.

Expert Betting Tips

Points Range: The Raptors have had a tough time scoring the ball at times especially against elite defenses but yes, they have multiple scoring options in their main five. The team has usually been in the 98-105 range but recently, their defense has taken a huge hit, to be honest. It was limiting teams to the late 90s and early 100s but recently, the team has conceded 110+ way more often. Now, this is surely a cause of concern for a team that doesn’t score much, to begin with. On the other hand, the Heat has been a superb offensive team throughout the season. Now, with Butler and Adebayo figuring out the offensive end and surrounded by a bunch of shooters and quick-time scorers, Heat has gone past the 110 points mark during the last three instances. I think the Raptors defense will come out strong here but again, will run to the point of exhaustion. Still, I think both teams will score below 112. The total points range being 210-220.

Prediction: Miami is ruthless at home and is at the top of the Eastern Conference Standings, having quietly made the way up to the top. On the other hand, the Raptors have lost the established rhythm and after they were making a push towards the 55-60% win mark, they have been hurtled back to 50%. Heat beat the Raptors 104:99 the last these two met and I think the Raptors’ defense will come with the fierce energy again. However, the Heat will take this 107:102 I believe.

Betting Odds

• Total 1 Over 106.5 for 1.87;
• Toronto Raptors- Total Points Over 101.5 for 1.95;
• Total O 207.5 for 1.90.