The Miami Heat (26-28) travel to face off against the Milwaukee Bucks (31-24) on Sunday, February 23rd. This game will be played at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee and televised on FDSW. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Tip-off is set for 6:00 ET.
Heat vs Bucks
The Heat Are Coming Off A Win
Miami improved to 26-28 on the season with a 120-111 road win over the Raptors on Friday. The Heat, who were favored by 3.5 points, covered the spread, and the game’s total of 231 points went over the 219.5-point line.
Miami jumped out to a 30-19 lead after the 1st quarter, but Toronto battled back, winning both the 2nd and 3rd quarters. The Heat led 84-80 going into the 4th, and an 11-0 run helped them pull away, taking the score from 111-109 to 120-111.
The Bucks Are Coming Off A Win
The Bucks improved to 31-24 this season with a 104-101 road win over the Wizards on Friday. Milwaukee, favored by 5.5 points, didn’t cover the spread, and the game’s total of 205 points fell well short of the 230.5 O/U line.
Milwaukee overcame a slow start, trailing 32-19 after the 1st quarter. They responded by winning the 2nd and 3rd quarters, including a dominant 34-19 3rd quarter. The Bucks entered the 4th with an 84-75 lead but were outscored 26-20 in the final period.
Heat Offense Breakdown
Tyler Herro led the Heat to a win over the Raptors, scoring 28 points and dishing out 7 assists, hitting 4 threes at 44.4%. Andrew Wiggins added 25 points, with 9 coming in the 4th quarter and another 4 in overtime. Bam Adebayo contributed 19 points and 12 rebounds, shooting 61.5% from the field.
Miami shot 51.1% from the field, connecting on 13 threes at a 36.1% rate. Herro’s 8 points in the 3rd quarter helped the Heat, while Wiggins and Adebayo combined for 10 points in overtime.
Bucks Offense Breakdown
In their win over the Wizards, the Bucks shot 47.6% from the field but struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 9 threes at a 28.1% rate. Kyle Kuzma led the way with 19 points, scoring 9 in the 2nd quarter and 10 in the 3rd. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez each added 18 points, with Lopez shooting 62.5% from the field and making 2 threes at 50%.
Giannis contributed 8 points in the 3rd quarter, while Lopez added 4 in the 4th. Ryan Rollins and Kevin Porter both scored 6 points in the final period, finishing with 15 and 12 points, respectively.
Heat Team Defense
Defensively, the Heat were at their best in the 1st quarter, holding the Raptors to just 19 points. However, they struggled in the 3rd, giving up 32 points. Overall, Miami allowed 111 points but still secured the win.
Miami held Toronto to 41% shooting but allowed 17 threes on 39% from deep. The Raptors also went 18/23 from the free-throw line. The Heat finished with 8 steals and 3 blocks.
Bucks Team Defense
The Heat defense was strong in the 1st quarter, holding the Raptors to just 19 points, but they allowed 32 in the 3rd. Overall, they gave up 111 points on 41% shooting from the field.
Miami struggled to defend the three, as Toronto hit 17 threes at a 39% clip. The Heat sent the Raptors to the line 23 times, where they made 18 free throws. Defensively, Miami recorded 8 steals and 3 blocks.
Heat vs Bucks Trends
- When looking at their past five road matchups, Miami has an ATS record of 2-2-1 while averaging 105 per game. The team went 2-3 overall in these games.
- Across their five previous home games, Milwaukee has an ATS mark of 1-4. Their straight up record in these matchups was 3-2 while averaging 105 points per game.
- Going back to their previous three games as the underdog, Miami has an ATS mark of 1-1-1 while going 1-2 straight up.
- Looking back on the team’s last ten games as the favorite, the Bucks have a straight up record of 6-4. Their record vs the spread in these games was 4-6.
Heat vs Bucks Prediction
Coming in as the underdogs at +5, we have the Heat as the way to go on the point spread. Not only do we have them covering, but our projections show they have a good one of winning this one straight-up, if you’re looking for a higher payout on the moneyline.
As for the over/under, the the line is currently at 221, and our model projects the Heat and Bucks to reach a combined total of 269 points. Our bet is on taking the over.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:February 23, 2025 Bucks, Heat