The Miami Heat and Orlando Magic will face off in the NBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. ET from the Kia Center in Orlando, Florida. The game will broadcast live on FDSSUN.
The Magic are 8-point favorites over the Heat on the spread (Magic -8), with the over/under set at 215 total points. Orlando is a -370 favorite to win outright on the moneyline, while Miami is +280 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Heat vs. Magic predictions and NBA picks for Wednesday, October 22.
My Heat vs Magic Prediction
- Heat vs Magic pick: Nikola Jovic Over 9.5 points (-105)
My Magic vs Heat best bet is on Nikola Jovic to score over 9.5 points, with the best price currently available at DraftKings. But as always, make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NBA odds page.
Heat vs Magic Odds
| Heat Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+8 -110 | 215 -110o / -110u | +280 |
| Magic Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-8 -110 | 215 -110o / -110u | -370 |
Heat vs Magic NBA Preview
The GTA VI Bowl highlights the rare year where Orlando is projected to be so much better than Miami that this opener should feel like a formality.
But can you really ever confidently say that about an Erik Spoelstra-led team?
Well, yes… last season. But, what this year is about for each team is as follows.
For the Heat, their alleged "best coach in the NBA" hasn't been that since the 2023 NBA Finals concluded. The crown since taken by Indiana's Rick Carlisle.
But, with the Pacers in a gap year, Spoelstra — the newly named coach for Team USA — is clear of the Jimmy Butler drama and can get back to basketball with a team that feels relentlessly mid.
However, it's the type of team that a coach like Spo could get the most out of. His challenge-loving, basketball masochistic ass enjoys this, I bet.
Will Bam Adebayo bounce back after eating the brunt of what Butler left in his wake? Will Norman Powell right the offensive creation ship until Tyler Herro gets back? Will Nikola Jovic and or Kel'el Ware truly pop?
These are the questions we'll want answers too.
For the Magic, this feels like an enormous prove it year. It's not every season that the Magic enter as one of the teams with the most "win now" pressure.
This isn't championship or bust, but this is probably win a playoff series and put up a legitimate fight or your coach gets fired, or bust.
Jamahl Mosley could be both a favorite to win Coach of the Year or the dubious "First Coach Fired" award.
Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and Jalen Suggs all had seasons from hell in 2024-25 as it pertained to injuries.
And now, Desmond Bane is here for an infusion of reliable and elite spacing, shooting and complementary basketball for an offense that desperately needs it.
Heat vs Magic Prediction, Betting Analysis
I'd be surprised if we get a ton of points here, considering the low total hovering around 215.
That said, give me Nikola Jovic over 9.5 points. I think Jovic is real, and I think he can breakout this season, especially early on without Tyler Herro eating significant usage.
Do I think he's going to be a fringe All-Star? Not necessarily.
But heading into the 2022 NBA Draft, Jovic was top-10 on my big board because of his offensive versatility and potential as a complementary piece who can be a knockdown shooter and secondary offensive creator; a Hedo Turkoglu type.
I think this year, he averages into the teens, in terms of scoring, and Spo seems eager to utilize him. He's also involved in Heat personnel decisions, and Jovic just got an extension, which wasn't an accident.
This over won't come easy against Orlando, but I don't know how long we'll get Jovic at just 9.5 points for.
There's also a non-zero chance Kel'el Ware sits with neck spasms. He didn't practice Monday.
Pick: Nikola Jovic Over 9.5 Points (-105)
Spread
No play on the spread.
Moneyline
No play on the moneyline.
Over/Under
No play on the over/under, either.
Magic vs Heat Betting Trends
