Eastern Conference teams meet in South Beach. The Toronto Raptors are 15-11 coming in here, while the Miami Heat are 14-11. They are 10-3 at home, a totally different team than on the road.
Toronto is 7-5 away from North of the Border. NBA betting odds have Miami as a solid 5½-point favorite with the total at 237½ points.
Neither team is going great of late, with Miami splitting its last 10 and Toronto going 4-6. Coincidentally, both have lost four in a row.
With teams slumping, look for a close game, and that means take the points with the Raptors.
- Pick: Raptors plus 5½ points