Miami Heat vs. Chicago Bulls Prediction, NBA Odds
The Bulls have fallen to defeat to the Heat in battles for the No. 8 seed in each of their past two NBA Play-In matchups with Miami but enter the postseason as one of the leagues hottest teams, posting wins in 15 of their final 20 regular season games. Conversely, the Heat endured a streaky stretch run on their way to a 10th place finish in the East and posted just two wins in their final six contests.
Despite their strong finish, the Bulls lead the way as just 1.5-point favourites on Wednesday’s NBA odds. The Heat are listed as strong -105 underdogs on the NBA moneyline and the total is pegged at 219.5.
Heat vs. Bulls NBA Betting Odds
While the Bulls have come up short against the Heat in NBA Play-In Tournament action, they have held a clear edge in regular season actions. Chicago swept the season series with three victories, capped by a 119-111 win in the Windy City on April and have claimed victory in eight of their past 10 dates with the Heat, covering the spread on nine occasions over that stretch. The Bulls have also emerged victorious in two previous 9th place vs 10th place Play-In Tournament matchups and have been red-hot at home while winning seven of their past eight.
The Heat’s mediocre campaign went from bad to worse with 10-game losing streak in March. The club salvaged their playoff hopes by winning their next six games but with just 17 wins, the Heat sport the worst road record of any Eastern Conference team in the postseason.
Miami Heat
The Heat have enjoyed fast starts during their season-ending 2-4 run, averaging over 30 points in the first-quarter and has scored 120.3 points per game over that stretch, highlighted by a dominating 153-104 win in New Orleans last weekend. However, Miami’s seventh-ranked defence has faltered at times while allowing at least 119 points in three of their past five games.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. closed out the regular season with the best performance of his career, scoring 41 points and adding 10 rebounds and seven assists in Sunday’s 119-118 loss to Washington but his 41 minutes of playing time is unlikely to be duplicated on Wednesday. Tyler Herro remains the engine that drives the Bulls attack. The 25-year-old point guard has scored at least 30 points in four of eight outings and averaged 24.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 6.3 assists in three dates with Chicago this season.
Chicago Bulls
The Bulls will be aiming to flip the script on a long stretch of postseason on home court in Wednesday’s contest. Chicago has posted just one win in eight postseason home games since 2015 and have lost outright in six of their past 10 as home favourites in postseason action but enter Wednesday’s action with plenty of momentum despite some injury woes. Lonzo Ball remains on the shelf with a wrist injury that sidelined him in late February and the status of shooting guard Josh Giddey remains uncertain as he mends from a forearm injury.
However, this club has received solid performances from up and down the lineup, with eight different players leading the team in scoring over the past nine games. Coby White has played a huge role in the club’s late-season resurgence. The 25-year-old point guard exploded for 27.7 points per game in March, and 32 points per game in his first three April appearances but has averaged just 12 points in his past three outings while being used sparingly. Nikola Vucevic has remained dominant in the paint, averaging 10.7 boards and recording five double-doubles this month, and tallied 16 points and 11 rebounds per game in two meetings with Miami this season.
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