After a day off to rest, two Southeast Division rivals go head-to-head on Friday. It’s a battle for Florida, as the Heat and Magic tip off at 7:00 p.m. ET.
With the two clubs just one game apart in the Eastern Conference standings, this outing carries plenty of importance. Not only that, but it’s the first matchup between them in five days. Tuesday features an NBA Cup battle back in Orlando.
Below, we’ll break down a Heat vs. Magic prediction and picks to consider for Friday night’s game. Use PrizePicks NBA to make player picks and win money if you’re right.
Heat vs. Magic Prediction, Preview for Friday, 12/5
Friday marks the 144th all-time meeting between the Heat and Magic. Miami owns an 81-62 series lead, including a 6-4 record in the last 10.
The injury report for this one is complicated. For the Heat, SGs Tyler Herro (toe) and Norman Powell (ankle) are both questionable. Star Magic F Paolo Banchero (groin) is as well, but he was upgraded prior to Friday’s contest and will make his return here.
The Heat enter Friday’s game as 5.5-point road underdogs, returning a 2.56x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks if they win outright.
The Magic are home favorites with a 1.47x payout if they win, via PrizePicks Team Picks.
- Spread: Orlando Magic -5.5
- Total: 242.5
- Game Winner Payout: Heat 2.56x | Magic 1.47x
Payouts are as of Friday, 11 a.m. ET and are subject to change.
Miami Heat Preview vs. Magic
The Heat are coming off six straight trips to the playoffs, but their 37-45 record from last season was their worst since 2014.
In what many expected to be a soft reset year, Miami is off to a 14-8 start and sits fourth in the Eastern Conference standings.
Thanks to head coach Erik Spoelstra’s brilliance, the Heat rank second in per-game scoring (123.6 points) and are first in field goals attempted per night (93.6).
Defensively, Miami is 22nd in scoring (118.4 PPG) but sits second in opponent shooting percentage (44.2).
Orlando Magic Preview vs. Heat
Similar to their Florida counterparts, the Magic took a step back last year, going from 47-35 in 2023 to 41-41 in 2024.
Orlando started this season 3-5 but is 10-4 since, sitting just behind Miami with a 13-9 record out East.
Despite Banchero missing the last 10 games, the Magic have the eighth-best scoring offense (119.2 PPG) and are third in both points in the paint (55.0) and on fastbreaks (19.0) per game.
Orlando’s defense prevents assists at the third-best clip (24.0 per game). Additionally, opponents attempt the fewest 3-pointers nightly against them at 32.5.
Heat vs. Magic NBA Picks, Stats for PrizePicks Today
Here are three top Heat vs. Magic picks to target on Friday. Key PrizePicks player projections are headlined by C/F Bam Adebayo, F Andrew Wiggins, and PG Jalen Suggs.
Heat C/F Bam Adebayo vs. Magic Projection: 26.5 Pts + Rebs
- Adebayo averages 28.3 combined points and rebounds per game this year. Over his last four outings, that number jumps to 30.5.
- While he’s shooting 35.7% from deep for the third straight season, Adebayo has upped his 3-point volume from 0.6 attempts a night in 2023 to 2.8 in 2024 and 5.3 this year.
- Miami’s big man gets 25.8 true shot attempts per 100 possessions, per databallr. That’s a 90th-percentile figure.
- The former Kentucky standout ranks 20th among Eastern Conference players in rebounding chances per game at 13.2.
Heat F Andrew Wiggins vs. Magic Projection: 24.5 Pts + Rebs + Asts
- On the year, Wiggins averages 25.3 points, rebounds, and assists per game. In his last three contests, that’s up to 32.3.
- Wiggins has converted on 47.7% of his shots this year, tying a personal best.
- If Wiggins misses a shot, he rebounds it 5.6% of the time, placing him in the 85th percentile.
- Despite Wiggins’ 20.9% usage rate being tied for a career-low, his 12.5% assist rate is the third-highest mark of his 12-year NBA tenure.
Magic PG Jalen Suggs vs. Heat Projection: 19.5 Pts + Asts
- In his last eight games, Suggs posted an average of 21.3 combined points and assists.
- Suggs’ points per 75 possessions (19.8) and true shooting percentage on 2-pointers (69.5) are 87th and 94th-percentile numbers, respectively, via NBARAPM.
- The fifth-year guard is setting career-highs in potential assists per 100 (14.6) and actual assists per 100 (8.8).
- According to FantasyPros, the Heat allow the sixth-most fantasy points per game to the PG position at 52.92.
Make NBA Picks on PrizePicks
Heat vs. Magic isn’t the only avenue basketball fans have to make NBA picks. With PrizePicks, you can win real-money rewards for your predictions if you’re right.
Just choose players, predict More or Less on their projected stats, and follow the hoops action to see if your picks hit.
Stick around with the Playbook for continued NBA coverage and analysis all season.
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