miami heat vs toronto raptors ODDS COMPARISON & PREDICTION

A battle of two underperforming teams, hovering around .500, looking to find consistency. 

The Heat were supposed to be better this season. They were the number 1 team in the East last season with 53 wins, and they were just half a game away from the finals despite a thoroughly injured team. The playoffs is where the Heat really turn it on and where Jimmy Butler shines the most, but they’re currently in 12th place in the Eastern conference, and are going to need to actually make the playoffs before they can make any magic happen there. Will back to back wins over the Hornets give them the spark they need?

The Raptors may not have had their expectations quite as high as the Heat, but they’re struggling just as well. They’re coming off of two ugly losses to the Thunder and the Pacers. Part of that can be attributed to the injury to Pascal Siakam, but they were only 5-4 with him in the lineup, and now they’re 2-3 without. The problems run deeper than Siakam’s availability, and the Raptors will need to figure it out quickly as the East this season has proven extremely competitive.

Before they face off, the Heat will play the Suns at home on Monday night, and the Raptors will travel to Detroit to play the Pistons, also on Monday night