The battle of Central Florida versus South Florida practically gets a rematch already as the Miami Heat and Orlando Magic are set to face each other to open up their 2018 NBA seasons. A little over a week ago, these two teams went at it for a somewhat close preseason matchup as the Heat squeaked out a 90-89 win.
The game is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on Fox Sports Sun (in Heat markets) and Fox Sports Florida (in Magic markets). If you don’t have cable or can’t get to a TV, you can still watch a live stream of the game (or DVR it) on your computer, phone, tablet or streaming device by signing up for one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services:
How to Watch Heat vs. Magic Online if You’re in Market
Fox Sports Sun (local markets) and Fox Sports Florida (local markets) are included in the main Fubo bundle, which has 85 total channels and is tailored towards sports. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the FuboTV website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the FuboTV app.
If you can’t watch live, FuboTV comes with 30 hours of Cloud DVR (with the ability to upgrade to 500 hours), as well as a “72-Hour Lookback” feature, which allows you to watch games up to three days after they air even if you forgot to record them.
In addition to a Netflix-like on-demand streaming library, Hulu also offers a bundle of 50-plus live TV channels, including Fox Sports Sun (local markets) and Fox Sports Florida (local markets). You can sign up for “Hulu with Live TV” right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Hulu app.
If you can’t watch live, “Hulu with Live TV” comes with 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of DVR space and the ability to fast forward through commercials).
Fox Sports Sun (local markets) and Fox Sports Florida (local markets) are included in the “Sling Blue” channel package. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial right here, and you can then watch the game live on your computer via the Sling TV website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Sling TV app.
If you can’t watch live, you can get 50 hours of cloud DVR storage as an additional add-on.
How to Watch Heat vs. Magic Online if You’re Out of Market
If you live outside of the Magic or Heat area, all out-of-market, non-nationally televised games can be watched through NBA League Pass. You can sign up and watch through a number of different platforms:
You can sign up for either NBA League Pass, which lets you watch all out-of-market games, or NBA Team Pass, which lets you watch all of one team’s games if they’re out of market. Once signed up, you’ll be able to watch games on your computer via the NBA.com website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the NBA app.
If you have FuboTV or sign up for a new subscription, you can add NBA League Pass to your channel bundle. After signing up, you’ll be able to watch games on your computer via the Fubo website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Fubo app.
If you have Sling TV or sign up for a new subsription, you can add NBA League Pass or NBA Team Pass to your channel bundle. Once signed up, you’ll be able to watch games on your computer via the Sling website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Sling app.
Preview
Unfortunately for the Heat, they will not have that extra superstar on board as some might’ve expected Miami to have traded for Minnesota Timberwolves’ Jimmy Butler by now. With those trade talks falling through, the Heat will roll their same squad that they have started the preseason with.
The Heat are on a mission to kick off the season in a major way as they were first-round exits last year in the playoffs. Their series against the Philadelphia 76ers just wasn’t close, and they had to go back to the drawing board for the 2018 season and figure out what they can do to strengthen their roster for the new season. It all starts with one of their biggest names on the roster, Hassan Whiteside.
The big man ended his 2017-2018 season on terrible terms after he disappeared last years playoff series. After a long season, he showed up looking like he was ready to silence his critics from last season and move on. During the preseason, Whiteside was putting up 13 points-per-game while averaging 23 minutes on the court. Whiteside and the Heat are hoping that he can leave the past struggles behind him, and ball out the way that they know he can.
Unlike the Heat, the Magic are heading into Wednesday nights game with a healthy looking roster. It would be an excellent way for the Magic to get some of that preseason revenge on them as there are weak spots that they can take advantage of. Dion Waiters, Justise Winslow, and Wayne Ellington have all been ruled out already, while Tyler Johnson remains optimistic about playing, although he will most likely miss the opener.
As the Heat still remain favorites for Wednesday night, Aaron Gordon and the Magic have a favorable opportunity on their hands to prove to everybody that they can contend with a playoff caliber team like the Heat.
The Magic will be able to implement their seven-foot first-round pick into the mix as Mo Bamba will make his regular season debut. The rookie grabbed 17 rebounds, seven blocks, and 26 points in three games during the preseason. Now, he will need to translate his dominance into the regular season when it matters as he will come off the bench to start the season for Orlando.
Heat vs Magic Live Stream: How to Watch Online Without Cable