The Toronto Raptors (7-18) travel to face off against the Miami Heat (12-10) on Thursday, December 12th. This game will be played at Kaseya Center in Miami and televised on FDSS. The Heat are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Raptors are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Raptors. Tip-off is set for 7:30 ET.

Raptors vs Heat

The Raptors Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

The Raptors fell to 7-18 on the season after a 113-108 loss to the Knicks on Monday. Toronto, who entered the game as +7.5 point underdogs, kept things closer than expected. The total points for the game ended at 221, falling short of the 231.5 O/U line.

Toronto went on a 13-0 run to take the lead, but after leading 86-83 going into the 4th quarter, they were outscored 30-22 in the final period.

The Heat Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

The Heat improved to 12-10 on the season with a 122-113 win over the Cavaliers on Sunday. Miami, who entered the game as +2.5 point underdogs, not only won but also covered the spread. The total score of 235 points exceeded the pre-game over/under line of 222.5 by 12.5 points.

Miami turned the game around after Cleveland went on a 10-0 run, extending their lead from 17-16 to 27-16. The Heat responded by outscoring the Cavs 38-26 in the 2nd quarter. Heading into the 4th with a 90-80 lead, Miami held off Cleveland’s comeback attempt, as the Cavs edged the Heat 33-32 in the final period.

Raptors Offense Breakdown

RJ Barrett led the Raptors with 30 points and 8 rebounds in their 113-108 loss to the Knicks, shooting 54.2% from the field and hitting 3 threes at 42.9%. Ja’Kobe Walter added 19 points, with 10 coming in the 2nd quarter, and also made 3 threes at 42.9%.

Scottie Barnes contributed 15 points, 8 of which came in the 3rd quarter, and hit 3 threes at 37.5%. The Raptors made 13 threes as a team, shooting 37.1% from beyond the arc, though their overall field goal percentage was 44.8%.

Heat Offense Breakdown

Tyler Herro’s 34 points and 7 assists led the Heat to a win over the Cavaliers, with Herro hitting 5 threes at a 55.6% rate. Duncan Robinson added 23 points, making 4 threes at 66.7%, while Jimmy Butler contributed 18 points.

Herro scored 19 points in the 3rd quarter, and Dru Smith added all 11 of his points in the 4th. Miami hit 16 threes as a team, shooting 43.2% from deep and 47.7% overall.

Raptors Team Defense

Defensively, the Raptors struggled in the 1st and 4th quarters, giving up 34 and 30 points, respectively, in their 113-108 loss to the Knicks. They did manage to tighten up in the middle quarters, allowing just 26 points in the 2nd and 23 in the 3rd.

The Raptors allowed the Knicks to shoot 51% from the field, including 42% from three, where New York knocked down 17 threes. Toronto sent the Knicks to the line 19 times, where they made 12 free throws. The Raptors recorded 34 defensive rebounds, gave up 6 offensive boards, and added 4 steals and 4 blocks.

Heat Team Defense

The Raptors’ defense struggled in the 1st and 4th quarters, giving up 34 and 30 points, respectively, in their 113-108 loss to the Knicks. They did manage to tighten up in the middle, allowing just 26 points in the 2nd and 23 in the 3rd.

Toronto allowed New York to shoot 51% from the field, including 42% from three-point range, where the Knicks hit 17 threes. The Raptors sent the Knicks to the line 19 times, with New York converting 12 free throws. Defensively, Toronto recorded 4 steals and 4 blocks.

Raptors vs Heat Trends

• Toronto has a 1-4 record in their last five road games. In this stretch, they averaged 112 points per game while allowing 112. The team also performed well vs the spread at 3-2.
• Through their last five home games, Miami has an ATS record of just 1-4. However, their overall record was 2-3 while averaging 107 points per game.
• Going back to their previous five games as the underdog, Toronto has an ATS mark of 4-1 while going 2-3 straight up.
• Looking back on the team’s last ten games as the favorite, the Heat have a straight up record of 6-4. Their record vs the spread in these games was 5-5.

Raptors vs Heat Prediction

We’re putting our money on the Heat to win, and have the projected score sitting at 137-113. We also like them to cover the spread, so our recommendation is to bet on the Heat at -10.5.

Regarding the over/under, the current line is set at 224, and our model predicts the Raptors and Heat to score a combined 250 points. We recommend betting on the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* 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.