Heat vs Raptors Preview: NBA Preseason Oct 3 (MIA vs TOR) Records & Head-to-Head
Heat vs Raptors (MIA vs TOR) is the first game of the 2026-27 NBA preseason, tipping off Saturday, October 3 at 7:00 PM ET in Toronto. This preview covers both teams’ regular-season records and home/road splits from last season, all four of their meetings in 2025-26, and what is actually worth watching at this stage of the calendar. All data is current as of September 22 and comes from official box scores via balldontlie and TheSportsDB.
One thing to be clear about up front: the regular season has not started, so both teams are at zero games for 2026-27. Every record and per-game figure below is from the 2025-26 regular season. After an offseason of roster turnover, those numbers are background context, not a measure of what either team is right now.
目錄
Heat vs Raptors game information
| Tip-off (ET) | Saturday, October 3, 2026, 7:00 PM |
| Tip-off (UTC) | Saturday, October 3, 2026, 23:00 |
| Venue | Scotiabank Arena, Toronto (Raptors home floor) |
| Competition | 2026-27 NBA preseason |
| Away | Miami Heat (MIA) |
| Home | Toronto Raptors (TOR) |
Rotations and minutes in the preseason are entirely at the coaching staff’s discretion, and starters often play a half or sit out altogether. Home-court advantage carries little meaning at this stage, so this preview does not treat it as a factor.
Miami Heat: 2025-26 regular season in review
The Heat finished the 2025-26 regular season 43-39 across all 82 games, scoring 120.9 points per game and allowing 118.5, for a net of plus 2.3. That is a team that could score but gave up plenty at the other end: combined scoring in their games averaged 239.4 points, which puts them firmly on the high-total side of the league.
| 2025-26 regular season | Games | Record | PPG | Opp PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full season | 82 | 43-39 | 120.9 | 118.5 |
| Home | 41 | 26-15 | 123.5 | 118.3 |
| Road | 41 | 17-24 | 118.3 | 118.8 |
| Final 10 games | 10 | 5-5 | Split down the middle to close the year | |
The home-road gap was Miami’s defining trait last season: 26-15 at home against 17-24 on the road, with 5.2 fewer points per game away from Kaseya Center. Miami is the visiting team here, though as noted above, preseason road splits are not something to lean on. The Heat did not reach the playoffs last season.
Toronto Raptors: 2025-26 regular season in review
Toronto went 46-36 in the 2025-26 regular season, averaging 114.6 points and conceding 111.8, a net of plus 2.8. Compared with Miami, the Raptors played lower-scoring basketball: combined scoring in their games averaged 226.4 points, 13 fewer than Miami’s 239.4. The two teams approach games very differently.
| 2025-26 regular season | Games | Record | PPG | Opp PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full season | 82 | 46-36 | 114.6 | 111.8 |
| Home | 41 | 24-17 | 115.3 | 110.8 |
| Road | 41 | 22-19 | 114.0 | 112.8 |
| Final 10 games | 10 | 6-4 | More wins than losses down the stretch | |
Toronto made the playoffs last season and went 3-4 over seven games, winning all three at home and losing all four on the road, averaging 110.1 points and allowing 111.9. Seven games is a very small sample, so those figures are listed here as fact without further interpretation.
Heat vs Raptors head-to-head last season
The two teams met four times in the 2025-26 regular season. Toronto won all four, and every one was a double-digit margin.
| Date | Home | Away | Score (home-away) | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-09 | Raptors | Heat | 128-114 | Raptors |
| 2026-04-07 | Raptors | Heat | 121-95 | Raptors |
| 2025-12-23 | Heat | Raptors | 91-112 | Raptors |
| 2025-12-15 | Heat | Raptors | 96-106 | Raptors |
Worth noting: Miami averaged 120.9 points across the season but managed only 114, 95, 91 and 96 in these four games, finishing under 100 three times. Four games is still a small sample, and both rosters changed over the summer, so this tells you how the matchup played out last season rather than how it will play out now.
What to watch in the preseason opener
- Tempo mismatch: Miami’s games averaged 239.4 combined points last season against Toronto’s 226.4. Which way this one trends is the first readable signal of the preseason.
- Fourth quarters: Miami averaged 29.0 points and allowed 28.8 in the fourth last season; Toronto averaged 26.4 and allowed 26.6. Neither team held a clear edge in closing quarters.
- What preseason is for: new signings finding their fit, rookies getting a look, starters on restricted minutes. The scoreline means little; the rotation patterns are the point.
- Injuries and starters: this preview does not speculate on availability or projected lineups. Refer to the official NBA injury report before tip-off.
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Frequently asked questions
What time do the Heat and Raptors tip off?
Saturday, October 3, 2026 at 7:00 PM ET (23:00 UTC), at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.
Is this a regular-season or preseason game?
This is a 2026-27 NBA preseason game, the first of the preseason. It does not count toward regular-season records, and minutes for key players are decided by the coaching staff.
How did these two teams fare against each other last season?
They met four times in the 2025-26 regular season and Toronto won all four: 106-96, 112-91, 121-95 and 128-114. That is a four-game sample and both rosters changed over the summer, so treat it as background only.
Can last season’s numbers predict a preseason game?
Only to a limited extent. The 82-game sample reflects last season’s rosters. After summer trades, signings and draft picks, both teams need to be reassessed, and preseason games are not played at full intensity anyway.
How do I get the Mysports.AI prediction?
Model predictions are not published in these articles. Message Mysports.AI support on Telegram to request free access, which covers that day’s complimentary game and may not include a specific matchup.
Data current as of September 22, 2026, from official box scores via balldontlie and TheSportsDB. Advanced metrics, injury reports and starting lineups are not included. This article is a pre-game data summary and does not constitute betting advice. You must be of legal gambling age in your jurisdiction.