Something has clicked for the Miami Heat over the past several weeks, as they have gone from a projected lottery team to one fighting for a playoff spot. They will aim to continue that climb in a matchup this week with the Orlando Magic.
Even though Miami is on the road, this is certainly a winnable game, and a crucial one to pull closer to the Detroit Pistons for the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference. The Heat are only a game-and-a-half back after winning 16 of their past 19 games, and remaining that hot will certainly secure them a postseason spot.
However, Miami still has to get it done, with this one a prime example of a vulnerable opponent. Orlando has consistently been one of the worst teams in the NBA and has actually been worse at home than on the road this season, so it is likely to be the underdog.
This war on the floor will go down Friday, March 3, 2017, at 8 p.m. ET at Oracle Arena. The game will be televised live on TNT.
We'll have NBA odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NBA Friday schedule.
Odds Analysis
The Heat is 27-33 straight up and 35-25 against the spread. Miami has played in 32 road games this season and been quite impressive, covering in 19 of them. The Heat is 10-7 against the spread as the favorite on the year.
The Magic is 22-38 straight up and 27-32-1 against the spread. Orlando has played 29 home games and performed poorly with a record of only 8-19-2 against the spread. The Magic has been an underdog the vast majority of the time and has covered in 22 of 48 games when getting points.
Last Meeting
The Heat beat the Magic by 12 points the first time these two teams met back in October, but both matchups since have gone Orlando’s way. The Magic defeated the Heat 136-130 in double overtime on December 20th and won the recent matchup 116-107 on February 13th.
In the latest showdown, the game stayed close through three quarters before the Magic found another gear in the fourth. Orlando outscored Miami 29-20 in last quarter.
Evan Fournier led the Magic with 24 points and Elfrid Payton had 20 points off the bench. Goran Dragic and Dion Waiters combined for 55 points for the Heat.
Player to Watch
Hassan Whiteside -- The Miami Heat center is averaging a double-double this season with 16.7 points and 14.1 rebounds. He also leads the team with two blocks per game.
Whiteside has played well against Orlando this season. Back in November he recorded 19 rebounds against the Magic and he finished with 32 points and 15 rebounds in the meeting on December 20th.
Whiteside had 19 points and 19 rebounds in the loss to Dallas on February 27th. He has recorded double doubles in five of his last six games. The Magic aren’t a good scoring team anyway but Whiteside will make it tougher on them inside.
Free NBA ATS Pick
The Magic have only won 22 games this season and a pair have come against Miami. One came during the Heat’s recent hot streak, and clearly this is a decent matchup for Orlando.
However, the Heat have the more talented roster and much more to play for with the playoffs in sight. The Magic will simply be hoping for a good draft pick to help expedite the rebuilding process.
It took Miami some time to jell after losing Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, but this group is now looking good. Expect a win on the road against the Magic to even up the season series. If the spread is close, Miami should also cover as it could win by more than projected.
NBA Odds: Heat 110, Magic 102
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