Miami Heat 2024-25 Season Preview, Predictions, & Odds

The Miami Heat fell in the first round of the playoffs last season after getting to the NBA Finals a season before.

NBA futures odds are available at the BetMGM online sportsbook, including basketball lines for NBA champion, division winner, and player awards.

Miami Heat Futures Odds

Win Total: 44.5

Southeast Division: +150

Eastern Conference: +2000

NBA Championship: +5000

The Heat’s NBA Finals odds are +5000 after being +3000 last preseason.

Miami has its longest preseason online sports betting odds to win the East since being +2200 in 2019-20 when the Heat reached the NBA Finals.

Miami Heat Offseason Moves

There was a lot of roster turnover in South Beach, but none of these moves should provide a huge difference-maker next season.

Miami Heat Additions

Miami Heat Departures

Miami Heat 2024-25 Betting Prediction

Prediction: Over 44.5 Wins (-110)

I predict that the Heat will win over 44.5 games next season.

Jimmy Butler played in 60 games last season, as he’s not known to be available for every single game during the regular season, but he also missed the playoffs. 

Butler is among the most intense players on both sides of the floor. He’s adept at finding his spot in the mid-range, creating space with his footwork, back-down ability, and rising up for either a pull-up or turnaround fadeaway jumper.

Jimmy Buckets is also a strong finisher at the rim off the dribble drive, given his ability to absorb contact, switch hands in the air to shake off his defender and stop and pop into a floater. 

Butler is a lockdown defender who can take on the challenge of guarding the opposing team’s best player, stop them on the drive, pick their pockets, and jump the passing lanes to create easy opportunities in transition.

Bam Adebayo, who made the NBA’s All-Defensive First Team and finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting, is an elite defender on the perimeter who can guard every position 1-5 and stick with the ball handler, whether it be on the drive or if he’s forced to switch on a pick-and-roll.

Adebayo isn’t known to be a rim protector and is an undersized center, but he can still body up bigger players, stand his ground, and force them into more difficult shots near the rim with his knack for anticipating where his opponent is going.

Adebayo creates a ton of opportunities on the pick-and-roll, as his cutting and leaping abilities give him easy looks at the rim, hard screens set up his teammates to fire away from downtown, and playmaking skills in the short roll help him find his open teammates in the corner.

Adebayo can also hit the mid-range jumper, put the ball on the deck and drive to the rim, go to a spin move, turnaround fadeaway jumper, and hit the occasional 3-pointer. 

Anchored us on both sides of the ball, hit almost everything from the floor & sealed the game with a massive block.

Bam Adebayo masterclass in Sacramento. pic.twitter.com/oTYPsAIk7X

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) February 27, 2024

Jaime Jaquez Jr.’s development will be something to monitor. The UCLA product displayed a knack for creating a ton of offence off the ball by cutting to the rim and spotting up from a distance, but he can also take it in himself aided by his impeccable footwork, spin move, soft touch, strength, and craftiness. 

Jaquez Jr. is also a strong close-out defender on 3-point attempts and deflects a ton of passes. His relentlessness should make him a great fit for Heat Culture.

Tyler Herro is capable of attacking the rim, but his catch-and-shoot 3-point shooting will continue to help space the floor, especially when Butler and Adebayo go to a two-man game. Duncan Robinson will also continue to feast on wide-open looks from downtown within the confines of Miami’s offence.

Terry Rozier, who is entering his first full season in South Beach, will be unstoppable some nights, given his tendency to knock down 3-pointers at a solid clip and penetrate inside the paint. Rozier gives Butler another shot-creator to work with, so having a full training camp with his new team should help him get more acclimated to coach Erik Spoelstra’s system.

Considering the makeup of Miami’s roster and Spoelstra’s coaching, they should be good enough to win at least 45 games next season.