Point Spread: Orlando Magic Slight Underdog in Season Opener at Miami Heat

The Orlando Magic open the 2024-25 NBA regular season on Wednesday night in Miami. They are a slight underdog to the Heat. Here's the latest on the point spread, with a great history vs. the line for both teams.

Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (left) goes to the basket against Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero during a game last season. / Mike Watters-Imagn Images

MIAMI, Fla. — The 2024-25 regular season is here for the Orlando Magic, and it starts just down the road against the Heat, their bitter in-state rival. The opener, which starts at 7:30 p.m. ET at the Kaseya Center in downtown Miami. is the first of 82 games, and the first of four against the Heat.

According to the oddsmakers at Fanduel.com, the Magic are 2-point underdogs. The over/under is 208. This is one of 10 games on the scedule on Wednesday night. The season opened on Tuesday, with the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers both winning — and covering — at home.

Here's the good historical breakdown on the Magic and Heat, and a good look at the point spread and what often happens when these two teams get together.

How the Magic fared last year

Orlando's surprising jump from 34 to 47 wins last year absolutely impacted how it did against the spread as well. The Magic were a league-high 51-31 against the spread, covering 62 percent of the time. That's a lot. It was three games better than Dallas and Philadelphia.

But they played the Miami Heat four times a year ago and won just one game, and covering the spread just once. They Here's how they did, both straight up and against the spread:

• Dec. 20, 2023 in Orlando: The Magic lost to the Heat 115-106 at home as a 5.5-point favorite and did not cover. Magic star Paolo Banchero was justd 2-for-12 shooting and had just 10 points in the upset loss. Tyler Herro led Miami with 28 points.

• Jan. 12, 2024 in Miami: The Magic lost to the Heat 99-96 on the road as a 1.5-point underdog and did not cover. Bachero scored with 38.1 seconds to go to give Orlando a 96-95 lead, but Bam Adebayo scored with 18.1 seconds to go to retake the lead, and then Haywood Highsmith iced with two free throws at 7.1 seconds.

• Jan. 21, 2024 in Orlando: The Magic won 105-87 at home as a 1.5-point favorite and covered, with Banchero leading the way with 20 points and all five starters scoring in double figures. Miami shot just 37.5 percent from the field.

• Feb. 6, 2024 in Miami: The Magic got trounced 121-95 by the Heat, losing on the road as a 3.5-point underdog and did not cover. Jalen Suggs had a rough night for the Magic, scoring just three points on 1-of-7 shooting. Franz Wagner had a tough night too, making just 1-of-7 three-pointers and committing seven turnovers.

Opening night information on Magic, Heat

Last year the Magic opened the season at home, and beat the Houston Rockets 116-86. Their second game was on the road at Portland, and they won that one, too, beating the Trail Blazers 102-97.

Orlando opened on the road in 2021 and 2022, losing at San Antonio and Detroit respectively. They beat the Heat in Orlando on 2020, the fifth win in six tries against the Heat on opening nights in team history.

Last year, the Heat opened at home against the woeful Detroit Pistons, and won just 103-102 and then proceeded to lose their next four games. It was hard to read much into the losing streak though, because they then proceeded to win their next seven games in a row. Miami finished 46-36 a year ago, and was the eighth seed in the NBA's Eastern Conference playoffs, losing to Boston in five games.

Orlando was 47-35 a year ago, just one game better, and earned the No. 5 overall seed. The Magic lost to Cleveland in the first round, falling in seven games. The home team won all seven games in that series.

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Related Stories on the Orlando Magic

• MAGIC-HEAT PREVIEW: Here is a breakdown of the season opener between the Magic and Heat, plus all the information on how to watch the game. CLICK HERE

• SUGGS DISCUSSES CONTRACT EXTENSION, MAGIC'S OPENER AT MIAMI: Watch Jalen Suggs' full media availability from Tuesday's practice. CLICK HERE

• 'I LOVE YOU 407': Jalen Suggs and his Magic teammates took to social media to react to his new contract extension with the Magic on Monday. CLICK HERE

• ORLANDO PUTS MONEY WHERE ITS MOUTH IS: The Orlando Magic's $150.5 million bet on Jalen Suggs is the team's latest investment in roster continuity. CLICK HERE

Tom Brew is the publisher of the Orlando Magic on SI website, along with five others in the Sports Illustrated network. You can follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @tombrewsports